Truck drivers using the Kenya–Uganda border crossing at Busia have issued rare praise for the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) following the completion of a major bridge upgrade and weighbridge expansion that has eliminated the notorious traffic snarl-ups that once stretched more than 30 kilometres.
Speaking to Uzalendo News, drivers described the change as nothing short of dramatic.
“Before, we could spend four or five days parked here,” said Joseph Musyoka, who has ferried cargo between Mombasa and Kampala for twelve years.
“Now we clear the border in hours. The new dual carriageway bridge and the expanded weighbridge have changed everything.”
The revamped facility, currently operated by Gokhan Technical Services Ltd, can now process more than 5,000 transit trucks daily—significantly easing a bottleneck that routinely crippled trade along the Northern Corridor.
Drivers say waiting times have plunged from several days to as little as 15 minutes, even during peak hours.
The improvements form part of KeNHA’s broader strategy to build more than twenty new weighbridges nationwide, including both fixed stations and virtual systems equipped with cameras and sensors to detect overloaded vehicles without forcing them to stop.
The smoother flow of traffic has triggered an unexpected economic boom in Busia town, where new warehouses, fuel stations and lodgings have rapidly emerged along the highway.
But the surge in business has also spurred the growth of an informal roadside market selling everything from spare parts to second-hand clothes in areas that were previously empty.
Local residents are now urging the county government to establish a designated market space for the traders to avoid potential safety and congestion risks.
