MPs say weighbridge graft costs truck owners millions annually

The Gilgil weighbridge: The MPs accused police officers manning the weighbridges of frustrating the judicial process by opting to detain errant drivers instead of taking them to court. PHOTO | FILE |   AFP

In Summary

• The MPs said Gilgil weighbridge was the worst affected, citing delay of the long distance transporters by up to four hours.
• The lawmakers said this had contributed to the spread of HIV in Mlolongo and Gilgil where many young girls engage in prostitution with drivers awaiting clearance.

Long-distance transporters in East Africa may be losing as much as Sh500,000 per truck annually as graft hits three main weighbridges in Kenya.

Speaking during a debate on Weighbridge Bill sponsored by nominated MP Sunjeev Birdi last week, lawmakers said harassment of truck drivers, who fail to pay bribes on demand, was rife at the Mlolongo, Mombasa and Gilgil weighbridges.

The MPs accused police officers manning the weighbridges of frustrating the judicial process by opting to detain errant drivers instead of taking them to court. Most of the landlocked states in East Africa rely on Mombasa port for trade.

The MPs said Gilgil weighbridge was the worst affected, citing delay of the long distance transporters by up to four hours. The lawmakers said this had contributed to the spread of HIV in Mlolongo and Gilgil where many young girls engage in prostitution with drivers awaiting clearance.

Many lodges have equally mushroomed to cash in on prostitution. Mlolongo on Mombasa Road, Nairobi, is crowded with lanes of hotels and guesthouses to serve truck drivers spending the night at the stop points. The cost of accommodation range between Sh300 and Sh1,500 a night.

The new weighbridge in Thika, the MPs said, is also affected by graft with overweight trucks being charged Sh1,000 for every excess kilogramme.

The House called for an investigative committee to look into the plight of the truck drivers who suffer in the hands of police officers, adding that the delays at the weighbridges come at a heavy economic cost to the country.

The MPs asked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate graft claims at the weighbridges, which they termed as “a haven of corrupt dealings”.

Endebess MP Robert Pokose questioned the capacity of the EACC to fight against graft. He said there has been laxity in reining in corruption despite complaints by business people who are incurring huge losses.

“The drivers too spend their travel allowances to bribe their way out from detention,” he said.

The MPs also accused truck drivers of spoiling Mombasa-Eldoret highway, saying most of them exceed the 48-tonne standard weight limit on the tarmac roads.

The legislators said trucks take in excess of 22 hours on the 800-km Mombasa-Eldoret road instead of 11 hours at the recommended speed of 80km/h.

The National Assembly recommended that the weighbridges be closely monitored throughout.

“The transactions should be done with automated machines restricting the interaction between the officers and drivers,” said Kwale Women Representative Zainab Chidzuga.

The Bill proposes formation of a House committee to investigate performance of the Kenya National Highway Authority and failure by EACC to curb corruption at the weighbridges, if it sails through.