KACA acts to stamp out corruption at weighbridges

By Patrick Beja

There are fears that the privatisation of the busy Mariakani weighbridge, Mombasa, may not adequately contain rogue truckers.

The truckers are fond of overloading and buying their way on the Kenyan roads.

However, the Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority (KACA) has installed a parallel weighbridge at Mariakani to compare records with the new operator and ensure rogue truckers are eliminated.

A source at the KACA Mombasa office said their machine was well calibrated to ensure excellent records.

"The KACA weighbridge operates day and night. It is well calibrated to give good records," said the source.

Meanwhile, Kenya Transport Association (KTA) officials have called for strict weighing of trucks at the Mariakani weighbridge if overloading is to be stamped out.

Strict measures

Heavy Commercial Workers Union (HCWU) raised concern that overloading could be going on and demanded strict measures at the weighbridges.

Operation of the Mariakani weighbridge at the Coast was transferred to private hands last February. KTA Coast Executive Officer Eunice Mwanyallo said the association has held a meeting with road engineers seeking to get the terms of reference to the private operator at the Mariakani weighbridge.

"We want the new operator to stamp out overloading because we suspect it is business as usual. Those overloading should not have room to violate the rules," she said.

Mwanyallo said only few transporters have been overloading yet the whole industry is accused of the vice. The HCWU Secretary General John Muite claimed overloading was still going on and asked the Government to act tough on culprits.

He said a truck was supposed to carry a maximum load of 32 metric tonnes.