On 13 July, the heavy road transport drivers of Kenya launched a strike that effectively paralysed business operations at the Port of Mombasa, reports South Africa’s news outlet Freight News.

The drivers and conductors in the sector initiated their protest against recent directives issued by the government. Having received no satisfactory response from the government, they proceeded with their planned strike.

As a result of the strike, transporters along the entire Northern Corridor, spanning from Mombasa on the coast to Malaba at the Ugandan border, parked their vehicles, leading to significant disruptions in the movement of cargo along the critical trade route.

The main reason behind the strikes is the government's directive mandating retesting of drivers every three years, a move deemed punitive by the drivers. They argue that this directive by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) imposes a financial burden on drivers who already earn low incomes.

The situation intensified last week as Nairobi was largely deserted as a result of the strikes. Shops were still shut, and there were extensive security checks in place around the city, including in Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Kisii, among other places.