Kenya National Highways Authority unveils new measures to tackle graft at weighbridges

By DAVID ODONGO

Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has banned all vehicles from stopping at least three kilometres from any weighbridge in the country.

Eng Muita Ngatia, Manager axle load control at KeNHA said the decision has been made so as to stem corruption at weighbridges as well as to increase efficiency. Currently, hundreds of trucks stop for the night or for repairs near weighbridges.

“From this week, we won’t allow any truck to stop three kilometres near a weighbridge. We know all the weighbridges have the capacity to weigh a truck in 30 or so seconds,” says Muita. “There is no need for a truck to spend a night in Mlolongo unless there is some fishy business being done at night.”

KeNHA has also banned dummy axles in all trucks. Muita explains that the dummy axles are usually only used at the weighbridges to redistribute the weight of goods. “No truck will also be allowed to have a dummy idle axle. All the tires must touch the tarmac,” he said.

By the end of this month, KeHNA will also start using high-speed weigh sensors near all weighbridges. “The sensors will be located two hundred metres away from the weighbridge and once a truck’s tires runs on top of the sensor, the computer will automatically indicate to the police manning the weighbridge diversion whether to divert the truck into the weighbridge or to let it pass,” Muita added.

The high-speed motion sensor is fully automated and linked to a computer at KeNHA headquarters. Muita says it will now be easier for KeHNA to monitor any activity at the weighbridge and officials will be answerable if they let an overloaded truck go though. Other than Mlolongo and Mariakani, other weighbridges are located at Gilgil, Webuye and Malaba.

Double cost

Experts attribute the rising cost of goods to poor road network and the delay, bribery and extortion at weighbridges.

Clyde Mutotso, partner at Clyde and Associates says about 50 per cent of the costs sustained by businesses goes into expenses at the port and fighting transport hurdles.

He quotes a study done by CPCS Transcom that states that truck drivers pay between Sh56,000 to Sh75,000 to corrupt officers from Mombasa to Kigali in Rwanda. He reveals that it costs about Sh130,000 to get a container from Dubai to Mombasa but the cost doubles when it comes to transporting the same container from Mombasa to Kampala.

“It is only logical that the cost be passed on to you and me, twice, because the goods will be more expensive, and you will also be heavily taxed for the construction, repair and maintenance of roads. The government spends approximately Sh21 billion to repair the roads,” says Mutotso.

On June 5, this year, the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) passed the Vehicle Load Control Bill 2012 that coordinated the axle weight limit within East Africa countries. The Bill set 56 tonnes as the maximum weight of cargo in one truck.

If approved during the Heads of States summit planned later this year, all East Africa countries will have 56 tonnes as the maximum weight of cargo from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Presently Rwanda and Burundi have a maximum cargo weight of 53 tonnes while Kenya has a limit of 48 tonnes, Tanzania and Ugandan are at 56 tonnes. “It will be a big relief to us when the Bill is passed as this will ensure trucks from other countries don’t just break Kenyan laws and get free after paying a small fine,” says Muita.

He says the biggest challenge KeNHA faces is that once an offender is caught at the weighbridge, the courts sometimes let them out on bond, or fine a small fee, which doesn’t serve as a deterrence to the offenders.

Road network

Data from KeNHA reveals that Kenya has a road network of about 177,800km out of which only 63,575 km is classified.

The classified road network has increased from 41,800km at independence to 63,575km today, a development rate of less than 600km per annum. During the same period, the paved road length grew from 1,811 km to 9,273km.

It is presently estimated that about 70 per cent (44,100 km) of the classified road network is in good condition and is maintainable while the remaining 30 per cent (18,900km) requires rehabilitation or reconstruction.