This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On August 10, 2019, a meeting was held in Busia to discuss the issue of overloaded trucks damaging Kenya's highways. The meeting was attended by judges, magistrates, prosecutors, and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).
According to Samuel Omer, KeNHA's national director of Planning and Design, surveillance on roads and at weighbridges will be enhanced to impound all overloaded vehicles. He emphasized the need for sufficient proof to nail drivers who violate the law.
Justice Wanjiku Chirere of Kisumu noted that courts are forced to throw out some cases due to lack of sufficient evidence. She stressed the importance of frequent meetings to sensitize prosecutors and KeNHA on what they should do to make cases tight.
The chairman of the judges in Nyanza, Julius Ngari, regretted that cases of overloading by heavy commercial vehicles were on the rise. He appealed to KeNHA and prosecutors to always ensure there is sufficient proof to nail drivers who violate the law.
KeNHA and the Judiciary have vowed to deal firmly with deviant truck drivers to save roads from damage caused by overloading.
