The Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) has commenced the construction of double weighing scales at the Busia border to reduce delays and improve the flow of traffic at the busy crossing point.
KENHA Technical Manager Wellington Odali said the new infrastructure will cut the time it takes to weigh a single truck from five minutes to just 30 seconds, easing congestion along the Kisumu-Busia highway.
“The time required to weigh a truck will reduce significantly—from around five minutes to just 30 seconds. This will reduce congestion and eliminate time wastage at the weighbridges,” said Odali.
Busia Weighbridge Cluster Manager Lydia Masaki noted that the new weighing bridge is part of heightened surveillance to curb the illegal movement of goods across the border.
“We still have rogue transporters who avoid verifying weight. Some tamper with number plates to evade the weighbridge, but we have apprehended a number of them,” said Masaki.
“Given the proximity of this weighbridge to the border, some non-compliant transporters attempt to use alternative routes. However, we have a standby chase car and intensified patrols to ensure violators are caught and brought to book,” she added.
Masaki urged all cargo transporters to comply with local and East African axle load laws that set limits to weight to protect roads from damage.
“Compliance levels among transit trucks are now very high. When we compare weighed trucks to prosecuted cases, we are achieving a compliance rate of 99 percent,” she added.
The Highways Authority’s is currently modernizing infrastructure in major weighbridges an effort to enhance trade efficiency and reduce logistics costs with
With Kenya being East Africa’s largest export market, accounting for 70 percent of the country’s total exports to Africa in 2023, the highways authority is currently modernizing infrastructure in major weighbridges to enhance trade efficiency and reduce logistics costs within the region.
