Kenyan long-haul drivers are warning that arbitrary arrests in South Sudan are turning the Juba–Nimule route into a legal minefield and choking East Africa’s supply chain.
Foreign drivers, they say, are landing behind bars for minor road mishaps, then sitting for months without formal charges while “compensation” demands pile up.
“When traffic incidents escalate into legal proceedings, foreign drivers face an uphill battle. Legal representation is hard to secure, court cases are slow, and rulings are often biased in favour of local interests. Some drivers have found themselves imprisoned for months without formal charges, simply because they could not immediately meet the ‘compensation’ demands made by aggrieved parties or officials,” LoDCA told reporters.
The association describes South Sudan’s traffic code as a moving target. Poorly marked junctions and ad-hoc checkpoints, truckers say, lead to fender-benders that quickly spiral into hefty fines or detention.
“South Sudan’s judicial system compounds the challenges posed by unclear traffic laws. Judgments in traffic-related cases are often arbitrary, biased against foreigners, and influenced by graft,” the group added. Drivers now refer to the process as “jungle law,” arguing that outcomes hinge more on an officer’s mood than on any statute.
Bottlenecks at the Border
Away from the courts, truckers complain of day-long inspections that back up convoys at Nimule and Elegu. The delays, they argue, erode the gains of the EAC Customs Union, which was supposed to harmonise road-transport rules across member states.
South Sudanese officials counter that Kenya and its neighbours should respect Juba’s own safety and verification procedures. In January, Commissioner-General Simon Akuei Deng defended a new electronic invoicing system at Mombasa port, insisting it merely “enhances transparency” and does not collect taxes inside Kenya’s borders.
Kenyan importers, however, call the paperwork an extra layer of red tape that slows clearance.
Despite the friction, Kenya exported goods worth roughly KSh 25 billion to South Sudan in 2024, up from KSh 22.2 billion a year earlier. That momentum, shippers warn, could stall if arrests continue and insurance premiums climb.
LoDCA has pleaded with Nairobi to push the issue up the diplomatic agenda, noting that the drivers move essential fuel, cement, and food for both economies. So far, State House has kept public comment to a minimum.
What Drivers Want
- A rapid-response desk at Kenya’s Juba embassy to track arrests.
- A joint Kenya–South Sudan protocol spelling out fines, bail terms, and tow-truck fees.
- A regional tribunal under the EAC to settle cross-border traffic disputes.
Until those safeguards appear, many truckers say they will keep running the route, but each trip now feels like rolling the dice.
