The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has issued a stern warning to sugarcane transporters as it launches a renewed crackdown targeting tractors and lorries accused of posing serious risks to road users through unsafe and unlawful practices.
In a statement released on Sunday, the authority highlighted a sharp rise in cases of tractors ferrying cane in dangerous conditions, particularly on major highways across Western Kenya. KeNHA noted a growing pattern of operators using vehicles with faulty lighting systems, unroadworthy trailers, and cane loads piled far above the legal height limit.
According to the authority, many of the violations occur at night, a period when visibility is already low. The situation is worsened by transporters who ignore basic safety requirements such as reflective markings, functioning headlights, and proper load securing mechanisms.
As part of its intensified enforcement, KeNHA announced it will step up surveillance and intercept tractors carrying bulky loads that exceed the permissible dimensions, warning that such practices endanger both motorists and pedestrians.
During its latest operation, the Busia Weighbridge mobile team stopped a tractor along the Kisumu–Busia Road after discovering it was carrying sugarcane stacked to an unsafe height of five metres—far above the legal limit of 4.2 metres.
“The driver is set to be charged under Section 55(2) as read with Section 58(1) of the Traffic Act, Cap 403, when he appears in the Busia Law Court on Monday, November 24, 2025,” KeNHA confirmed.
The authority emphasized that it will continue enforcing traffic and vehicle load regulations to protect road users and safeguard the integrity of the country’s road network.
The crackdown comes at a time when enforcement agencies, including the National Police Service and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), are heightening efforts to curb road carnage as the festive season approaches.
On November 16, NTSA announced that thousands of drivers will undergo fresh tests ahead of the Christmas holidays, part of a broader strategy to reduce the spike in accidents recorded in December each year.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
