Sunjeev Birdi: Probe bribery, extortion claims at weighbridges

Sunjeev Birdi

An MP who was caught on tape in a heated exchange with weighbridge staff Thursday marshalled other lawmakers to push for a parliamentary inquest into the claims of bribery, extortion and fraud at weighbridges.

Sunjeev Birdi (nominated), the MP who was filmed at the Gilgil weighbridge trying to push for the release of an impounded truck, Thursday submitted a petition by long-distance truck drivers to the House seeking to have all weighbridge staff investigated.

Birdi said detention of drivers and impounding of their trucks was simply causing "undue delays to the delivery of goods and services" to their inland destinations and to other destinations in Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

"The harassment of drivers at weighbridges has led to loss of jobs and exposed them to starvation due to lack of food and water at weighbridges, and made them prone to cold-related diseases due to lack of lodges at the weighbridges," Birdi told the House.

She said the drivers, who are the petitioners, wanted the House Committee on Transport and Public Works to investigate the corruption allegations.