There
is uproar among the business community in Katuna border town in Kabale
following the decision by Rwanda to close its border about two weeks after
reopening it, URN reports.
On June 10, 2019, Rwanda Revenue Authority-RRA announced it was reopening the
border to help carry out trials for heavy trucks through the Gatuna One-Stop-Border
Post for a period of two weeks ending June 22, 2019.
This was meant to assess the newly installed equipment before the inception of
works. The move was widely seen by the business community as the first step
towards the permanent reopening of the border.
However, Rwandan security officials closed Gatuna border around 1am on Sunday
and directed all heavy trucks to use Kagitumba-Mirama Hill border as it had
been since February 2019. URN toured Katuna border on Sunday afternoon
and saw Rwandan police officers deployed at Gatuna border.
He also saw three trucks making a u turn to connect to Rwanda through Mirama
hills in Ntungamo district. A security officer told URN on condition of
anonymity that the border had been closed because of cracks that have developed
on the verandah and behind the compound of Gatuna – One Stop Border post.
He also said Rwanda temporarily opened the border to allow in four Heavy
Duty Generators from Mombasa in Kenya destined for Kigali. According to a security
source, two of the generators were delivered last week. He says the border was
immediately closed after two remaining generators made it through the crossing
point.
Residents and truck drivers have condemned the re-closure of the border, saying
that it is affecting their business.
Fidelis Mayooli, a truck driver transporting second hand clothes from Mombasa
to Kigali, says that he arrived at Katuna on Saturday morning ready to cross
but surprised was when Rwandan security officers directed them to drive back to
Mirama-Kagitumba border on Sunday morning, saying Katuna-Gatuna border had been
closed.
Mayooli says that driving back to Mirama hills is very inconveniencing and
tiresome.
Allen Ninsiima, a cloth dealer in Katuna
border town, says business had slowly started picking up following the
temporary opening of the border. Ninsiima says that she felt angry on Sunday
morning when she saw trucks being driven back.
Asaph Atuheire another businessman at Katuna border says he personally saw two
trucks from Uganda crossing the border on Saturday night with heavy loads
before the border was closed a few hours later.
Atuheire asked President Yoweri Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul
Kagame to explain to the public why this problem is not ending.
Saleh Baba, a taxi driver along Katuna-Kabale road, says everybody in Katuna is
starving due to the border closure.
There has been tension between Uganda and Rwanda since February 27, 2019. It
started after Rwanda closed its borders to purportedly expedite the
construction of the single customs post at Gatuna border.
Rwanda advised truck drivers destined to Kigali to use Kagitumba border via
Mirama Hills. However, Rwandan officials including President, Paul
Kagame later accused Ugandan authorities of abducting its citizens and locking
them up in ungazetted areas.
They also accused Uganda of hosting and facilitating dissidents especially
Rwanda National Congress-RNC and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of
Rwanda FDLR, which have declared war on the Kigali government.
During the same time, Rwandan citizens were advised against travelling to
Uganda, an advisory which was followed with the destruction of all temporary
bridges near the border.
