The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has installed 12 state-of-the-art virtual weighing sensors across the Western region to combat vehicle overloading along major highways. This move is expected to enhance road safety, reduce infrastructure damage, and ensure compliance with axle load regulations.
The newly installed maintenance-free sensors are located at Mau Summit, Cheptiret, Eldama Ravine, Eldoret, Kapenguria, Malaba, Mayoni, Mukumu, Ahero, the Southern Bypass (both bounds), and Kamagambo. These virtual stations will seal loopholes in the Northern Corridor and adjacent road networks, significantly improving efficiency in weight monitoring.
According to the project’s operations manager, George Ngugi, the installation follows the upgrade of road pavements from asphalt to concrete standards, enhancing durability and ensuring the sensors’ longevity. He noted that ten stations have already been completed, with the remaining two undergoing final improvements.
“The mechanical and electrical works have been finalized, and the virtual scales and accessories have been installed. We are now in the testing and verification stage,” Ngugi confirmed.
The initiative aligns with the East African Community Vehicle Load Control Act, enacted in December 2015 and gazetted in 2016. The law mandates that all vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes must undergo weighing at designated weighbridges. It also sets a maximum axle load of 56 tonnes, and any transporter attempting to bypass or evade a weighing station faces legal consequences.
The installation of these advanced sensors represents a technological leap in Kenya’s efforts to regulate axle loads without causing unnecessary delays to transporters. Unlike traditional weighbridges, which require vehicles to stop, these sensors will monitor vehicle weights in real time, ensuring seamless enforcement of load limits.
With road transport being a critical pillar of trade and logistics, particularly along the Northern Corridor, KeNHA’s investment in modern load-monitoring technology is a timely intervention to safeguard infrastructure and improve road safety. Once fully operational, the virtual weighing stations are expected to streamline transport operations and promote compliance with axle load regulations
