Busia One-Stop-Border-Post (OSBP) has urged the government to consider increasing the number of OSBPs with a view to serving the increasing number of human populations and goods crossing the two border posts of Busia and Malaba.
Speaking to the National Assembly Committee on Regional Integration at Busia OSBP on Friday, Busia OSBP Chairman, John Kiilu, said that a lot of traffic is expected in five or more years to come.
“We recommend the domestication of the East African integration agenda so that people use the designated border points,” he said. Kiilu added that there is also a need to strengthen stakeholder association and governance between Kenya and Uganda through capacity building.
He further called for technological advancement, especially on the scanners being used to clear goods at the OSBP, so that they are at par with the entire globe. “Now we are talking of 3D scanners, which are extremely expensive,” he said, adding that technology is moving very fast.
The official, at the same time, said that Busia OSBP managed to meet their target of Sh900 million during the last financial year.
“We have raised our target to Sh1.5 billion this Financial Year, and we are extending our sources of revenue, talking to our stakeholders in order to meet the target,” he said.
Kiilu further said that plans are underway to purchase drones in order to intensify surveillance at the border so that illegal goods and passengers do not pass.
He stated that there are very few cases of smuggling at the entry point because the management is on 24-hour watch.
The manager also said that the facility has a truck parking area of 100 capacity, adding that a 40-acre parcel of land has been set aside to be developed for increased parking space to hold up to 2,000 trucks at a time.
He disclosed that the construction of the Jumuiya market has not yet begun, but the designing of the project and the tendering process are ongoing.
The National Assembly Committee on Regional Integration, led by chairperson Irene Mayaka, conducted an inspection tour at the facility and checked on the activities at the OSBP.
Mayaka added that the committee also checked on the challenges faced by the facility and later engaged with the executive so that a lasting solution could be achieved.
By Salome Alwanda
