Africa-Press – Uganda. The business community in Malaba Town Council, Tororo District, have protested government’s continued closure of one of the gates at the Malaba border.
The gate, which is opposite Malaba Central Police Station, is said to be the busiest point of entry and exit at the border.
The traders under their umbrella association, Malaba Business Community Association, at a crisis meeting on Tuesday, said the closure is hurting their businesses.
The Resident District Commissioner, Mr Nixon Owori, said the gate has remained closed in order to control unnecessary movement of foreigners into the country.
“The border is open but there is a small gate, which has remained closed in order to control movement of foreigners. Let them pass through the main gate because we don’t have enough health personnel to deploy at all gates to ensure that Covid-19 guidelines are respected,” he said.
However, the traders maintain that businesses are collapsing because most people, who buy their goods and services in large quantities, mainly from the neighbouring Kenya, use the said gate. “That gate has remained closed even after government opened its international borders. We are surprised because other border points such as Busia, Lwakhakha are operating normally,” Mr Kenneth Emurugat, the chairperson of the association, said.
The traders say they have resolved to boycott paying taxes.
On October 1, 2020, President Museveni reopened Entebbe airport and borders after a six-month closure to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The President said any passenger arriving in Uganda must be in possession of a negative Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin. Mr Emurugat, however, blamed continued closure of the gate on security agencies deployed at the border.
“They misinform the government that reopening the border fully is a security threat to the country,” he said.
Mr Emurugat said since their sales have drastically dropped, they have failed to meet rent fees. “We have also failed to pay fees for our children, bills such as Umeme, water and the bank loans,” he said.
Mr Henry Esamai, another businessman, asked government to open the border if it cares for the well-being of the local people. Mr Esamai said many traders have since quit business yet it was their only source of survival.
Mr Albino Otabong, a resident and landlord, said continuous closure of the gate has also affected the real estate business.
“Our houses have remained vacant after the previous tenants vacated after their businesses closed. We still don’t have clients because the border’s gate is still closed,” he said.
Authorities say
The border Internal Security Officer, Mr Emmanuel Otim, said the closure was an order from above.“We closed that gate after receiving instruction from my bosses and I still have the key for the padlock,” he said.
Mr Otim, however, advised the angry traders to channel their grievances to the concerned government officials.
Mr Walter Uryek-Wun, the Malaba town clerk, asked traders to revoke their position of threatening to boycott paying taxes.
“As council, we are also feeling the pinch,” he said, adding that the traders have written to various ministries requesting the reopening of the gate in vain.
