Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) imposed a Ksh45 million fine to protect roads from destruction and tame transporters from tampering with axle load.
According to KeNHA's statement dated Tuesday, January 24, the fines will first be rolled out along the Northern Corridor linking Kenya to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan.
While revealing the fine, Kennedy Ndungire, KeNHA's Senior Manager of Axle Load Enforcement, stated that tampering with the axle loads by vehicles using the route leads to massive road destruction.
Ndungire insisted that the operation would target trailers, trucks and other vehicles transporting goods to other East African countries.
The crackdown aims to maintain road standards in the country and tame transporters. It also aims at reducing cases of road accidents caused by overloading.
"What they are doing is destroying that section of the road, which is an expensive asset.
"Some tamper with the axle after passing through Mariakani weighbridge and only adjust it when reaching Athi River," Ndungire lamented.
According to KeNHA, some transporters targeted in the operation fit malfunctioning lift axles to deceive weighbridge operators.
While defending the move to impose a hefty penalty on transporters, KeNHA insisted that protecting the Northern Corridor promotes efficient and competitive transport.
The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement (NCTTA) is a treaty coupled with 11 protocols signed in 1985 and revised in 2007 for regional cooperation with a view to facilitating interstate and transit trade.
It was established and mandated by the member states to oversee the agreement's implementation to monitor its performance and transform the Northen trade route.
The road was also built to spur economic development in the East African regions. Kenya lauded the establishment of the road noting that it had eased the movement of goods and reduced traffic on major highways in Nairobi and other parts of the country.
