More than 500 trucks carrying fuel, cement, food, WFP supplies, and other goods are stuck at Uganda’s Malaba border due to South Sudan’s new requirement for upfront e-permit tax payments, previously handled at the Nimule border or in Juba.
According to Uganda’s Monitor Newspaper, the standoff has sparked severe congestion, financial losses for drivers and agents, and safety concerns on key highways.
Hundreds of trucks bound for South Sudan are now backed up at the Malaba border crossing, creating major disruptions to East African trade routes. The holdup stems from a recent South Sudan Revenue Authority policy demanding immediate payment of e-permit taxes right at the border.
Clearing association chair Peter Sireeka Namlwa reported that over 500 vehicles, some waiting more than two weeks, are now piling up, with numbers possibly nearing 700. These trucks haul critical items like fuel, cement, and World Food Programme rations, exacerbating the crisis.
Previously, taxes were settled at the Nimule border or in Juba, allowing goods to clear on bond. Now, upfront payments are mandatory, shifting enforcement to Malaba and causing chaos at this vital Northern Corridor hub that processes around 1,800 trucks daily from Mombasa to multiple countries.
Clearing agent Proscovia Acam criticized the location of enforcement, arguing it violates transit norms and idles businesses. ‘We’re not against revenue collection, but doing it here worsens everything,’ she said.
Drivers face the worst impacts. Kawuro Oneto, stuck since March 9 from Mombasa, lamented lost allowances, while Ahmed Muhmood worried about spoiling rice cargo after two weeks. Even UN aid trucks are delayed, despite tax exemptions.
Parking shortages have spilled onto the Malaba-Jinja Highway, raising accident risks, according to yard worker Farhad Madoi.