The Kenya National Highway authority (KENHA) has put on notice owners and drivers of long distance trailers following an increase in cases of overloading

The authority identified the Northern Corridor as the most affected adding that this posed a major threat to the future of the country’s roads.

The road links land-locked East African countries to the Mombasa Port.  It serves Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, parts of DRC and South Sudan

While launching a crackdown against offenders, Kenha warned that any driver found guilty faced a three-year jail term.

According to Danka Africa Kenya Limited, which has been contracted to manage the Gilgil and Suswa weighbridges, trailers with six axles were the main offenders.

The company's assistant operations manager Jackson Kimuyu said long distance drivers ferrying goods to neighbouring countries are the major offenders.

He noted that by raising one axle, the drivers end up carrying more load than legally allowed.

“We have seen several cases where drivers are tampering with the axles so that they can carry more load and we are closing in on them,” he said.

He said that out of the 90,000 trucks weighed at the Gilgil weighbridge last year, 500 were overloaded leading to the arrests of drivers.