- Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai Urges KenHA to complete Nzambani-Mwitika-Zombe Road as Kitui West MP Edith Nyenze requests completion of Kitui-Mbondoni-Mwingi Road
- The MPs faulted the authority for coming up with punitive levies yet they collect less as projected annually
- MPs Nimrod Mbai, Susan Kiamba [Makueni] Edith Nyenze [Kitui West] Marwa kitayama [Kuria East] requests KeNHA to complete stalled projects
Parliament has urged Kenya National Highway Authority [KenHA] to come up internal dispute resolution mechanisms to solve loading offences instead of criminalizing light offences which harbours production.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Public Petitions, unanimously Members of Parliament parliament led by the Chair by Kitui East Member of Parliament Nimrod Mbai, advised the KenHA’s Director General Kung’u Ndung’u to heed the recommendations R
“Raping is a serious crime, murder is a serious crime, robbery with violance is a serious crime, you can’t therefore treat someone who is over loading as a criminal. If you do so will always find means to escape and you will not get those punitive charges levied to offenders,” Nimrod Mbai Sought
According to Mbai, KenHA should embrace those alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms spearheaded by Chief Justice Martha Koome
“I can assure you once you bring those policies, parliament is ready to help you deliver to citizens and collect more revenues; we shall definitely pass them for efficient and effective settling of disputes instead of tedious court cases,” he added
Mr Mbai said sometimes court may drag years where the offenders may end up not being charged
Additionally, Mbai sought responses relating to the incomplete roads projects and maintenance across different parts of the country
However, MPs Caleb Mutiso [Machakos Township] Marwa Kitayama [Kuria East] sought KenHA to consolidate items which should be levied at a certain weight instead of levying similar machines in different weighbridges
“A transporter ferrying a roller can’t be allowed to pass with a grader and excavator whereas all these items fall under one category! Why can’t categorize items and issue transporters with one licence such that you don’t have to be levied every machine,” Mutiso questioned KenHA’s DG
He recommended that all machines of similar characteristics and functionalities should be categorised and licenced under one cluster to lessen the burden to transporters of double levies
“I am sure if you do this no will evade being levied but if you leave the way it is, someone will use panya roots [short cut] to reach to the destination,” he remarked
Makueni MP Susan Kiamba wondered how could KeNHA charge exorbitant levies yet again they collect less against their annual projects
“It’s good for the country to grow economically but don’t punish public in your levies which you end up collecting less and sometimes goes to individual’s pockets in expense of roads maintenance,” Kiambaa wondered