Kenya, Uganda police row over lorry

By Antony Gitonga

A diplomatic row has erupted between Kenya and Uganda over a stolen lorry straining the relationship between the two countries.

The row pitting the Kenya Police and their Uganda counterparts is centred on a stolen lorry, which the latter has refused to surrender.

Kenyan officers are now accusing Ugandan officers at the Busia border point of allegedly working in cahoots with highway robbers.

The row follows an incident last week when a new lorry ferrying tiles from Nairobi to Naivasha was hijacked along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway.

tracked

The lorry belonging to Naivasha trader Steven Maina Ngige was tracked to Tororo, Uganda, days after it was stolen.

According to an officer privy to the investigations, Kenyan officers drove to Tororo Police Station where the lorry was handed over to them.

But drama started at the Busia border point where Ugandan police and revenue officers blocked the lorry from crossing back to Kenya.

Though the lorry had been allowed to enter Uganda in unclear circumstances through the entry point days earlier, the officers demanded the presence of senior Kenyan Government officers.

“Busia DCIO and even the vehicle owner presented themselves with all the relevant documents but they are now demanding that the Police Commissioner be present,” said the officer who declined to be named.

Kenyan officers have expressed their fears that some of the border point officers on the Ugandan side could be working with the highway robbers.

papers

They wondered how the lorry was cleared at the border without any papers and said the ministers involved should intervene over the matter.

Speaking on phone, Naivasha OCPD Ernest Oponyo downplayed the matter saying that talks were going on.

“The driver of the lorry has been arrested and we are still in talks with our Ugandan counterparts so that the vehicle can be released,” he said.