Magufuli the odd man as East African leaders agree on truck drivers

Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli was the odd man as East African heads of states agreed on a way forward regarding the truck drivers who have become a major contributor to COVID-19 numbers.

Uganda has recently had its COVID-19 positive cases rise by 18 foreign cases, all from truck drivers from Tanzania and Kenya.

This prompted the population to put leaders on pressure for a way forward regarding the border entries for these truck drivers.

In an address to the country on Tuesday, Museveni said it would be suicidal to stop truck drivers since the country still needs to export and import through the borders.

He, however, said there are certain measures, the region is undertaking to reach a sensible conclusion regarding the issue.

“When we started, I told you about our bush technique. In the bush once you suspected something, stand, don’t move, don’t talk. When you do that, you hear well, that is what we have been doing since 18th March. It has shown us the Problem-Truck Drivers,” Museveni said.

“It is clear, one of the remaining sources of the disease are the truck drivers within Uganda and the region, East Africa. I’m told Ugandans are very angry with these drivers, do not stigmatize them,” he urged.

Museveni then said the leaders in East Africa had arrived at a conclusion regarding the same.

“I had a very long discussion on the phone with H.E Uhuru Kenyatta and H.E Paul Kagame regarding truck drivers. I also talked to H.E John Pombe Magufuli on a slightly different subject. However, President Kenyatta and President Kagame agreed that we can have a common plan for truck drivers,” he added.

Nile Post understands that Magufuli did not agree with the other principles on truck drivers, rather choosing to let the business go on as usual.

Magufuli is already in the record for saying Coronavirus is just something small that should not stop people from working or doing business.

“This corona is a very small thing, let us proceed with our lives as usual,” Magufuli said at one of the church gatherings.

The Tanzania President has been adamant to lock down the country which has so far posted 480 positive cases.

Last week, Magufuli ruled out the possibility of locking down Dar es Salaam which serves as Tanzania’s commercial hub. He said that this is because it was only a center where they get almost 80 percent of their GDP.

“Dar es Salaam is the only center where we collect almost 80 percent of the country’s revenue. We can continue taking all measures to curb the virus but not by locking down Dar es Salaam,” Magufuli said.