KENHA to gazette stiffer laws to curb overloading

Kenya National Highways Authority axle load control manager Engineer Muita Ngatia examines a truck headed to DR Congo with a load of 113 tonnes against the legalized 56 tonnes that was nabbed in Mai Mahiu Naivasha. Photo: Standard

By Antony Gitonga                

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) has termed as lenient the current laws dealing with overloaded vehicles.

Despite damaging hundreds of kilometres of road across the country, culprits get soft fines from the law courts. This came as a truck headed to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was nabbed in Mai Mahiu with a load of 113 tonnes against the legalized 56 tonnes.

According to KENHA axle load control manager Engineer Muita Ngatia,  new laws would be gazetted  in a months time to effectively deal with overloaded trucks.

He noted that the country was loosing millions of shilling annually through roads damaged by overloaded vehicles.

"The current laws are lenient as it has a ceiling fine of Sh400,000," he said.

He said that once stiffer laws are gazzetted those breaking the law would be fined based on the number of tonnage and kilometers done multiplied by Sh380.

Muita was however quick to note that cases of overloading had dropped from 40 to 15 percent in the last one year.

He said that the authority was committed to reducing the cases further and put on notice errant drivers breaking the law.

On the overloaded truck, Muita said that it was headed to Goma in DRC but was nabbed along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road.

The engineer noted that if allowed to proceed with its journey, the truck would have destroyed 1,200kms of road.

"This lorry had assorted goods and double the legalized tonnage but incidentally the owner was fined a partial Sh400,000," he said.

The lorry was later released after the cargo was distributed to three other trucks before proceeding to DR Congo.