Captain William Ruto, Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), revealed hitches forcing transporters to avoid the Northern Corridor.
Captain Ruto told the National Assembly’s Regional Integration Committee that the presence of many weighbridges and roadblocks in the Northern corridor had kept transporters off the highway.
He also cited insecurity from Lamu to Garissa as one of the reasons transporters are avoiding the Northern Corridor.
“The Northern corridor from here Mombasa to Goma in DRC have 5-6 weighbridges while at the Central corridor we have only two,” Captain Ruto stated.
“This has made potential transit countries avoid using our corridor. We also have the issue of insecurity from Lamu -Garissa all the way to Moyale,” he added.
Aside from security concerns, the Kenya National and Highways Authority (KeNHA) asked the committee to work with regional governments to develop standard axle load procedures.
This came after several truck drivers were apprehended for violating KeNHA’s axle load regulations.
“Some countries don’t have stringent axle control measures. So some trucks are allowed to pass but entering our border, we stop their movement,” Michael Ngala, KeNHA’s Assistant Director of Axle Load Control, stated.
The Northern Corridor connects Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to Mombasa, Kenya’s seaport. Northern Tanzania, Southern Sudan, and Ethiopia are also served by the corridor.
It was designed to promote inclusive transport while also serving as an environmental pillar for green freight transport.
The member countries established and mandated the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) to oversee the agreement’s implementation, monitor its performance, and transform the Northern trade route into an economic development corridor.
To address the challenges facing the Port of Mombasa, Captain Ruto stated that construction of a cargo facility capable of handling approximately 45 million tonnes per year, up from the current 34 million tonnes, was on track.
