The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced new directives for truck drivers and transporters following a system downtime that has disrupted the issuance of exemption permits across the country.
In a notice on Tuesday, May 27, 2026, KeNHA said the ongoing failure of its permit system had affected the processing of abnormal load permits, prompting the Authority to introduce exemption measures to minimize disruptions to transport operations.
“The Kenya National Highways Authority wishes to inform Transporters that Issuance of Exemption Permits has been affected owing to the ongoing permit system downtime. In this regard, the Authority advises transporters as follows, in a bid to mitigate any delays and inconvenience caused,” read the notice.
The directives apply to transporters operating oversized and abnormal loads on Kenyan highways, many of whom rely on exemption permits the move machinery, construction equipment, and heavy cargo.
New KeNHA Directives for Truck Drivers and Transporters
As part of the temporary relief measures, KeNHA announced that trucks with expired permits would continue operating for an additional two weeks under specific conditions.
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KeNHA further clarified that the extension only applies to cargo already described in the existing permits.
“Trucks with expired permits have been granted a two-week extension for the cargo described in the permit. This exemption will apply until 9th of June 2026,” read part of the statement.
For transporters seeking fresh approvals, KeNHA also outlined new procedures during the downtime period.
According to the Authority, Vehicle Inspectors have been directed to physically confirm vehicle dimensions before any temporary clearance is issued.
Stations handling the applications will then tag the vehicles and issue special release documents indicating the necessary actions to be taken.
The Authority added that the tags issued must include details such as vehicle dimensions and the charges payable by transporters.
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KeNHA further explained that the tagged records would only be closed after the permit system becomes operational again and transporters successfully obtain their official permits online.
“For new applications, Vehicle Inspectors are to confirm the dimensions, while Stations are to tag the vehicles and issue special release documents stating the action to be taken. The tags should capture the dimensions and charges payable and should be closed once transporters obtain their permits when the system is back online.
KeNHA instructed applicants to submit their requests via the email ([email protected]) for review and guidance by relevant officers during the system outage.
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