The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has accused both local and Chinese contractors of causing destruction on roads through overloading.
KeNHA assistant director in charge of axle load, Michael Ngala noted that they are responsible for 30 per cent of the damages on road surfaces.
The authority revealed it would start the process of auctioning trucks impounded due to overloading with proceeds from the exercise being used to repair road sections damaged due to overloading.
“When you come now to the local transporters, whereby we place the compliance to somewhere between 65 to 70 per cent, then it means the 35 per cent of those who are not being compliant are actually Kenyans destroying their own assets,” stated Ngala
Earlier in June 2021, KeNHA had embarked on a nationwide crackdown on trucks that are overloading on Kenyan roads.
The government had spent more than Ksh300 billion on the construction of roads over the last 10 years but still uses billions more in repairs as a result of destruction by overloaded trucks.
KeNHA had unveiled a 24-hour surveillance and operation team to crack down on those flouting axle load limits.
Culprits are normally found in grey areas of Machakos, Kitui and Embu where some trucks overload. Impunity authorities are now calling for stiffer penalties to stop the vice.
The highway authorities will also be working in conjunction with National Transport and Safety Authority(NTSA) to track drivers using false registration numbers.
“Driving a motor vehicle on a road without another plate is outrun by the Traffic Act that shouldn’t happen and it is a very sorry state that these vehicles are sometimes the normal pass through all roadblocks,” highlighted Senior Police Superintended John Gichohi.
“ We are putting measures talking to the area commanders to ensure that that does not happen again and the police will operate countrywide to enforce recommended load on roads,” he further stated.
