By Mudecha Aramathani
As the protests hit high in Kenya, businesses in Uganda especially at the border points in Busia and Tororo are paralyzed.
The eye witnesses informed that, at all the Uganda-Kenya border points businesses have slowed down unearthing the spark factor as being the “Skyrocketing Cost of Living and Stealing of Elections strike’’.
Since Monday 20th March, no trucks of goods crossing over to and from Kenya to Uganda have been observed. Many business people are worried about the negative outcomes of the skyrocketing cost of living strike that has come to hit them out of business.
Truck drivers have been instructed to park at the borders and those from Kenya to Uganda were ceased from traveling.
“I reached here yesterday at around midday and I would have been in Nairobi by now. But because of the situation which is taking place in Kenya, we are told to park here,” Abdallah Muhina, one of the truck drivers who got stuck at Uganda- Kenya borders cried out.
The Resident District Commissioner of Busia, Michael Kibwika stressed that the traffic flow has been reduced and no vehicles were getting into and moving out of Kenya per the released report on Monday 20th.
However to guarantee the peace and stability at the Uganda-Kenya borders, the Uganda police deployed the security personnel mostly in the areas of Busia and Tororo.
From the over view of the business lenses, any disruptions in the movement of goods from Kenya to Uganda have a negative impact on both the countries’ business activities.
About the strike, Raila Odinga, the opposition leader, claims that the recent Kenya Presidential election was stolen from him by President William Ruto. Odinga also throws the blame on the current Kenyan Government for hiking the living costs in Kibera, Nairobi.
However, in response to the riots, President William Ruto’s Government has vowed to take tough measures to manage the protesters. And to observe what has so far happened, the police in Kenya deployed tear gas against the protesters who had gathered near the government offices in Nairobi City- the very place where the Odinga rally was scheduled.
President Ruto declared that opposition demonstrations would not intimidate his government in service. He said, “You are not going to threaten us with ultimatums of chaos and impunity. We will not allow that”.
On contrary to the police orders, Odinga threatened to proceed with the protests, he said to his followers on Monday 20th that, “ I want Kenyans to come out in large numbers and show the displeasure of what is happening in our country.”
Odinga added that he called the masses to protest against the skyrocketing costs of living and stealing of votes.
Currently, the plight faced and hitting up Kenya range from the hike of prices for basic necessities, drop in Kenya shilling against the U.S Dollar, and the drought that has hit the country especially since the last months of last year, 2022 leaving millions of people in a big hunger strike. The youth on their lips are complaining that the government hasn’t fulfilled the promise to offer them with jobs.
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