Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto, on Tuesday, March 28, exposed hitches forcing transporters to keep off the Northern Corridor.
While addressing the National Assembly committee on Regional Integration, Captain Ruto indicated the presence of many weighbridges and roadblocks in the Northern corridor had kept transporters off the highway.
He also listed insecurity from Lamu to Garissa among the causes keeping transporters from using the Northern Corridor.
"The Northern corridor from here Mombasa to Goma in DRC have 5-6 weighbridges while at the Central corridor we have only two," Captain Ruto stated.
"This has made potential transit countries avoid using our corridor. We also have the issue of insecurity from Lamu -Garissa all the way to Moyale,” he added.
Besides insecurity, Kenya National and Highways Authority (KeNHA) asked the committee to engage regional governments in setting standard procedures for axle loads.
This was after several truck drivers were apprehended for violating axle load regulations set by KeNHA.
"Some countries don’t have stringent axle control measures. So some trucks are allowed to pass but entering our border, we stop their movement," Michael Ngala, KeNHA's Assistant Director of Axle Load Control, stated.
The Northern Corridor serves Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda to the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa. The corridor also serves Northern Tanzania, Southern Sudan and Ethiopia.
It was built to foster inclusive transport and the environmental pillar for green freight transport.
The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) was established and mandated by the member countries to oversee the agreement's implementation, monitor its performance and transform the Northern trade route into an economic development corridor.
To address challenges facing the Port of Mombasa, Captain Ruto indicated that building a cargo to handle about 45 million tonnes per year, up from the current 34 million tonnes, was on course.
