Businessman Ladu Lukak and lawmaker Willison Lodiong speaking to reporters after a meeting on challenges affecting traders in the country/Photo@Eye Radio/12.05.2022

The National Chamber of Commerce has attributed the skyrocketing commodity prices to a new Kenyan policy shifting transit of goods from road to railway, half loads and maintaining the previous fees.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, Ladu Lukak said the Kenyan Government directed that all transit cargo to South Sudan should carry only half containers from Mombasa to Nairobi.

The Kenyan authorities reportedly took the decision to protect their road infrastructures from being worn out by heavy commercial trucks.

Lukak told Eye Radio, the directive which has been in effect since last month, marginalizes South Sudan road transporters.

“This train is only from Mombasa to Nairobi, and you have to pay $800. After you pay, then they will load your container in Nairobi, and in Nairobi, the big container of 40 Fit is divided into two trucks. Sure it has a big impact on South Sudanese people because it’s the one to be affected by this new regulation,” said Lukak.

The group said South Sudanese will then have no choice but to pass on the cost to the consumers.

“The transit fee for one container is more than double now at 8000. Before 40 fit container was at $800 up to Juba, but now one container from Nairobi to Juba is $8000 and its only 20 fit,” said Lukak.

The association is reportedly seeking legal redress through lawyers on the new policy.

Ladu Lukak also called for an urgent intervention by the presidency of Kenya and South Sudan.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Transporters Association claimed road transporters in Kenya are being disenfranchised by their government ‘for reasons that are not clear to us.’

In 2018, the Kenya Railways authority confirmed the order but says it was reached through consultation with other players including Container Freight Terminal owners.

Last month, Vice President Taban Deng Gai also called on the national Road Authority to impose existing regulations to protect critical transport infrastructures from the overuse by heavy commercial trucks.

Gai, who heads the infrastructure cluster said commercial trucks must adhere to the East Africa Vehicle Load Regulations.

He stated that trucks bound for the country often carry double the required loads due to the failure of the road authority to implement the regulations.

“You know when the trucks leave Mombasa, a load of one truck is put in two big lorry trucks because of the regulations of EAC, where you are allowed only to carry the maximum capacity,

“But when the trucks reach Nimule, this load of two trucks is put in one truck, because we have no regulations here” he asserted.

The Regional Vehicle Load Act 2013 outlines that an overloaded vehicle shall be detained without a charge by the national roads authority for the period prescribed in the regional operation and procedures.