The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has launched an aggressive, nationwide crackdown on overloaded trucks, initiating night surveillance and deploying advanced technology in a concerted effort to protect the nation’s key road infrastructure and enhance public safety. This decisive action comes as authorities struggle with the immense financial and structural damage inflicted by vehicles exceeding legal weight limits.
The intensified enforcement began with a clear statement on Sunday, October 5, announcing that KeNHA teams would conduct night surveillance along major truck routes to ensure strict compliance with vehicle weight regulations. The move follows a recent incident on Friday, October 3, where KeNHA’s Suswa mobile weighbridge team intercepted a three-axle tipper truck laden with murram on the Narok-Sekenani Road.
The truck was found to have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 30,850 kg, an excess overload of 2,850 kg. Despite being issued a Prohibition Order and a Notice to Attend Court, the driver reportedly failed to comply, locking himself inside the vehicle at Narok Police Station, prompting officers to remove the number plates.
Jared Makori, KeNHA’s Deputy Director in charge of Axle Load Control, emphasized the critical nature of the campaign. “Overloading is a menace that shortens the lifespan of roads and endangers lives,” Makori stated, highlighting that the authority has invested approximately Sh3.5 trillion in the national highway network. He further elaborated on the devastating economic impact, noting that “any time 10 percent of the Sh3.5 trillion road networks are destroyed, the authority loses hundreds of billions of shillings every year. Even partial damage to the road network translates to colossal losses. That means higher maintenance budgets, delayed development elsewhere, and in extreme cases, total reconstruction”.
To strengthen enforcement, KeNHA has constructed 13 static weighbridges, installed 26 virtual weigh stations, and deployed mobile weigh scales across the country. The virtual system, which feeds into a central platform, provides real-time data on compliance trends, enabling faster response and minimizing human interference, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption. The Ministry of Transport is also set to introduce 28 additional weighbridges, including virtual and static stations, across the country.
The penalties for non-compliance are severe: first-time offenders face heavy fines of Ksh200,000, while subsequent offenses incur a Ksh400,000 penalty. KeNHA is enforcing axle load limits under the Traffic Act, CAP 403, the Kenya Roads Act, and the East African Community Vehicle Load Control Act, making compliance non-negotiable. The agency has also partnered with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to combat corruption, which has historically hindered enforcement efforts.
Engineer Julius Mak’Odero, KeNHA’s Regional Director for Nyanza, underscored the broader implications, stating, “Corruption in the transport chain undermines enforcement, while overloaded trucks are more difficult to control and often cause fatal accidents”.
