The war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is worrying the Kenyan business community, with both human lives and billions worth of trade and investment at stake.
The conflict which escalated this week has seen transporters serving the DRC market through the Port of Mombasa halt movement into the country, impacting investors in long distance cargo haulage business, drivers, importers and exporters dealing in transit business.
According to the Kenya Transporters Association (KTA), movement into and out of DRC has been affected, with trade disruption leading to losses.
“Transporters cannot go there at the moment. To us it is a loss of business and revenue,” KTA Chief executive Mercy Ireri told the Star.
A significant number of Kenyan drivers are also stuck in the Congo according to the Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers Association (LDTDA), The association said the war has added to initial challenges that included rebel attacks on truckers and poor infrastructure that has traditionally seen drivers spend months to make a round-trip to Mombasa.
“The situation there is terrible,” the association’s Secretary-General, Nicholas Mbugua, told the Star.
According to the association’s chairman Kabeberi Hassan, the situation in DRC is “a year-in-year out” thing, which exposes drivers to security risks, mental torture and high costs, with little help going the drivers’ way.
A group of Tanzania and Kenyan truck drivers posted a video on social media this week calling for help, noting they were stranded in Goma due to ongoing fighting.
They are urging the government to assist in evacuating them to safety.
“We have nowhere to run, we have run out of food and water supplies, we are asking for help from government. We also ask you pray for us,” one of the drivers said.
The war in DRC is also threatening trade in the East African region with key port facilities of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam expected to feel the impact.
The second largest nation in sub-Saharan Africa has been a key investment destination by Kenyan companies since joining the East African Community (EAC) in April 2022, with Kenyan banks among the biggest investors.
Equity Group, for instance, has been driving strategic roadshows and exhibitions to help investors explore potential investment avenues in the DRC.
The country is also a key market for transit cargoes through the Port of Mombasa, served by the 1,700 kilometre-long Northern Corridor running between Mombasa (Kenya), Uganda Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern DRC.
It remains the busiest and most preferred route connecting the landlocked countries to the maritime transport in global trade.
There are at least 1,500 trucks that serve the Northern Corridor. According to transporters, it costs at least $247 (about Sh31,924) per truck per day when it remains stuck on the roads.
Kenya Ports Authority data shows DRC is the third biggest transit destination accounting for 11.8 per cent of transit goods.
Uganda remains the leading destination accounting for 65.7 per cent of transit business where in 2024; volumes went up to 8.8 million tonnes from 7.1 million tonnes, followed by South Sudan ( 12.7 per cent). Rwanda and Tanzania account for 5.1 per cent and 3.4 per cent of transit business through Mombasa, respectively.
Both KTA and the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa (SCEA) have been calling for a solution in the DRC infrastructure and security challenges.
EAC member states leaders have since called for a ceasefire following a meeting chaired by the current EAC Heads of State Summit chair and Kenya’s President, William Ruto, which Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi failed to attend citing scheduling challenges.
This comes amid a standoff between Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa over the war in DRC.
Tshisekedi has however vowed to
restore government authority in the
Eastern Congo where the M23 rebels have seized control of the city of
Goma and are reportedly advancing
south to take more territory.
