KAMPALA – Cross-border truck drivers have abandoned their vehicles on roads at four major border crossings between Uganda and Kenya, protesting the arrest and killing of their colleagues in South Sudan.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The affected border points include Malaba, Busia, Lwakhakha, and Suam, which were completely shut. The truck drivers have abandoned their vehicles on the roads, blocking all movement of goods.
The protest follows a letter dated May 1st, 2026, from the East African Truck Drivers Union to the South Sudan government, listing serious challenges that drivers face along the transit routes.
In the letter, drivers report widespread extortion, with police, military, immigration, and fire brigade officers demanding illegal payments, including between 30,000 and 50,000 South Sudanese pounds per truck in Juba.
The truck drivers say their colleagues are being mistreated by security officials and armed groups along the South Sudan transit routes, especially at the Nimule border and on the Nimule-Juba highway.
They allege that armed men using “machete” pangas attack drivers, especially those in empty trucks, leading to injuries and deaths, while illegal checkpoints have multiplied far beyond the three agreed locations, appearing at places like Kubi, Nesitu, Gumbo, and Jebeli.
Some drivers remain in prison even after paying court fees, and trucks including UAN 750P and UAD 144Q have been confiscated unlawfully, while immigration officers have seized drivers’ passports and refuse to return them.
The pothole-riddled Nimule-Juba highway causes frequent accidents and breakdowns, yet drivers say they are forced to pay 100 US dollars at weighbridges for road repairs.
The drivers are demanding that South Sudan’s government take urgent action, including improving security along transit routes, removing all illegal checkpoints, stopping extortion by officers, and repairing the pothole-riddled roads.
They also demand that the imprisoned drivers be released, all confiscated trucks and seized passports be returned, and the agreement signed on December 9th, 2024, be fully implemented.
The closure of four border points has paralyzed trade between Uganda and Kenya, stranding trucks carrying food, fuel, and construction materials, as drivers vow not to resume work until their safety is guaranteed.
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