The Kenya National Highways Authority has weight limits for cargo being transported from Kenya to Malaba and other towns.The trucks are always inspected at various weigh bridges across the country.
In order to enhance movement of cargo through the Northern Corridor, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), a State Corporation established under the Kenya Roads Act, 2007, with the responsibility for the management, rehabilitation and maintenance of national trunk roads wishes to issue the following guidelines;
- That following Minister for Transport and Infrastructure’s proposal to ammend the Traffic Act, the Authority is enforcing maximum allowable gross vehicle weight limits as indicated in the table below;
| Description | Current Limit | Proposed Limit |
| Rigid Chassis vehicle with 2 axles | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| Rigid Chassis vehicle with 3 axles | 24,000 | 26,000 |
| Rigid Chassis vehicle with 4 axles | 28,000 | 30,000 |
| Vehicle & semi trailer with 3 axles | 28,000 | 28,000 |
| Vehicle & semi trailer with 4 axles | 34,000 | 36,000 |
| Vehicle & semi trailer with 5 axles | 42,000 | 44,000 |
| Vehicle & semi trailer with 6 axles | 48,000 | 50,000 |
| Vehicle & drawbar trailer with 4 axles | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| Vehicle & drawbar trailer with 5 axles | 42,000 | 44,000 |
| Vehicle & drawbar trailer with 7 axles | 56,000 | 56,000 |
- That all Custom Sealed Containerized Transit Cargo shall only be weighed at the first weighbridge encountered after leaving the Port/ Point of Loading and at the Last Weighbridge at point of exit from the border.
- That any vehicle established to be overloaded on the Axle or Axle Group but is within the prescribed Gross Vehicle Weight as per the Axle configuration shall be allowed to redistribute its cargo to within tolerance before being re-weighed and allowed to proceed with its journey. Such vehicles will not be charged.
- That any vehicle which is overloaded on the Axle and Axle Group and cannot redistribute its cargo to within allowable tolerance shall be charged.
- That an allowance of 5% has been granted on the Legal Axle and Axle Group Weights Limits to take care of possible movement of cargo while on transit as indicated in the table below;
| No | Axle Type | Legal Weight (Kg) | 5% Tolerance (Kg) | Allowable Weight (Kg) |
| 1 | Single Steering Axle | 8,000 | 400 | 8,400 |
| 2 | Single axle with four wheels fitted with conventional tyes | 10,000 | 500 | 10,500 |
| 3 | Single axle with two wheels fitted with Super Single tyres | 8,500 | 425 | 8,925 |
| 4 | Double steering axle having two wheels fitted with conventional tyres | 12,000 | 600 | 12,600 |
| 5 | Double steering having four wheels fitted with conventional tyres | 16,000 | 800 | 16,800 |
| 6 | Tandem axle group having two wheels fitted with Super Single tyres | 16,000 | 800 | 16,800 |
| 7 | Tandem axle group having four wheels fitted with conventional tyres | 18,000 | 900 | 18,900 |
| 8 | Triple axle group each having two wheels fitted with Super Single tyres | 22,500 | 1,125 | 23,625 |
| 9 | Triple axle group having four wheels fitted with conventional tyres | 24,000 | 1,200 | 25,200 |
We wish to inform the public that all our weighbridge stations operate for 24 hours a day throughout the year. The heavy goods vehicles are therefore encouraged to come to the weighbridge station immediately upon loading to avoid causing congestion at and around the weighbridge stations at particular times thereby inconveniencing other road users.
We urge all the road users particularly the heavy goods vehicles to adhere to the set traffic rules on the national trunk road networks including while approaching the weighbridge stations.
AXLE LOAD CONTROL: Rules and regulations.
It is necessary to know the permitted axle load limits and gross vehicle weights, as a driver, truck owner or loader.
The axle load limits for the various axle/wheel configurations, maximum gross vehicle weight, maximum vehicle dimensions and the minimum fines for excess axle load or gross vehicle weight are set in the Traffic Act (Cap. 403).
LEGAL LIMITS FOR VEHICLES
Permissible Maximum Axle Loads
| Axle Group
(with Pneumatic Tyres) |
Maximum Axle Load (Kg) | |
| A | Single Steering Axle (2 wheels –single tyres) | 8,000 |
| B | Single Axle (4 wheels –dual tyres) | 10,000 |
| C | Tandem Axle Group (8 wheels- dual tyres) | 18,000 |
| D | Triple Axle Group (12 wheels-dual tyres) | 24,000 |
| Vehicle and Axle Configuration
(Pneumatic Tyres) |
Maximum Gross Vehicle Weight | |
| A | Vehicle with 2 axles | 18,000 |
| B | Vehicle with 3 axles | 26,000 |
| C | Vehicle and semi-trailer with total of 3 axles | 28,000 |
| D | Vehicle with 4 axles | 30,000 |
| E | Vehicle and semi-trailer with total of 4 axles | 36,000 |
| F | Vehicle and drawbar trailer with total of 4 axles | 36,000 |
| G | Vehicle and semi-trailer with total of 5 axles | 44,000 |
| H | Vehicle and drawbar trailer with total of 5 axles | 44,000 |
| I | Vehicle and semi-trailer with total of 6 axles | 50,000 |
| J | Vehicle and drawbar trailer with total of 6 axles | 52,000 |
| K | Vehicle and drawbar trailer with total of 7 axles | 56,000 |
