A senior veteran journalist, Steven Ariong has called for an urgent joint forensic audit of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA), alleging that millions of dollars could be lost annually through corruption and weak financial oversight within the regional institution.
The journalist made the allegations following a one-week visit to Mombasa Port in Kenya, where he says he observed what he described as serious governance and accountability concerns affecting the Northern Corridor.
The NCTTCA is an intergovernmental organisation established to oversee implementation of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement (NCTTA), which facilitates trade and the movement of goods between the Port of Mombasa and the landlocked countries of the Great Lakes region.
The Authority has six member states — Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The Northern Corridor Agreement was signed in 1985 and revised in 2007, while South Sudan later acceded to it.
According to the journalist, the Authority plays a critical role in coordinating road, rail, pipeline, inland waterway and maritime transport systems along the corridor, making its financial management a matter of regional importance.
He alleges that the institution has increasingly become vulnerable to corruption, with some officials allegedly using their positions for personal gain while sidelining technical officers who demand greater transparency and accountability.
“What is happening at the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority has turned the institution into an area of eating by a few corrupt officials,” the journalist alleges.
The writer further claims that more than US$12 million could be lost annually across the six member states through alleged financial leakages, with Uganda’s alleged share estimated at approximately US$1.5 million per year.
However, the allegations have not been independently verified, and no supporting financial records or audit reports were provided to substantiate the figures.
The journalist also questions the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms within the Authority, alleging that some members of its policy and executive structures have failed to adequately perform their watchdog responsibilities.
According to the official NCTTCA institutional framework, the Authority is overseen at the policy level by a Council of Ministers responsible for transport in the six member states. An Executive Committee, composed of Permanent Secretaries or their equivalents, provides policy direction, while the Permanent Secretariat in Mombasa implements decisions of the governing organs.
The journalist argues that this structure makes strong financial oversight essential, particularly because the Authority’s mandate directly affects regional trade, transport costs and economic integration.
The NCTTCA says its overall mandate is to remove obstacles to the flow of trade and services along the Northern Corridor. Its objectives include facilitating the movement of people, vehicles and goods, promoting economic development and improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the corridor.
The Authority also says it works toward the eradication of customs fraud and tax evasion and the harmonisation of transport and trade procedures among member states.
The journalist warns that if corruption and financial mismanagement are allowed to persist, they could undermine the broader objectives of regional integration.
He argues that financial leakages could reduce the Authority’s ability to address non-tariff barriers, improve transport infrastructure, harmonise regulations and facilitate faster movement of cargo across borders.
The concerns come at a time when the Northern Corridor remains one of the region’s most important trade routes, linking Mombasa Port to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Authority describes the corridor as a multimodal transport network incorporating roads, railways, pipelines, inland waterways, border posts, weighbridges and inland container depots.
The journalist has therefore appealed to the Presidents of the six member states to take an interest in the allegations and establish an independent, multi-state forensic investigation.
He wants the investigation to examine the Authority’s financial accounts, procurement processes, project funding, revenue flows and expenditure records.
“As an East African citizen, I call upon the heads of member states to constitute a joint multi-state forensic audit into the financial accounts, project funding and procurement portfolios of the Permanent Secretariat,” he said.
He argues that such an audit would help establish whether public funds have been misappropriated and identify weaknesses that could be exploited in the future.
The NCTTCA has previously reported a number of achievements, including reduced roadblocks, improved customs coordination, decongestion of Mombasa Port, harmonisation of customs laws and the use of a Transport Observatory to monitor corridor performance.
The journalist says these achievements should be protected through stronger accountability and transparent management of the institution’s resources.
He maintains that without credible financial oversight, the original objective of creating the Northern Corridor — to facilitate regional trade, reduce transport barriers and promote economic integration — could be undermined.
