Public Procurement Regulatory Authority audits Gilgil Weighbridge operations and maintenance contracts

The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has concluded an audit of the Gilgil Weighbridge Station, focusing on the contractual agreements governing the facility’s technical and daily operations. The review targeted the procurement processes used to select service providers for the management, maintenance, and installation of weighbridge scales at the site.

Located along the Northern Corridor, the Gilgil facility is a critical point for monitoring axle load limits for heavy commercial vehicles moving between the Port of Mombasa and the interior of the country. The audit sought to determine whether the existing contracts for scale servicing and station management align with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act of 2015.

Inspectors examined the documentation related to how various tenders were awarded, seeking to ensure that the selection of private firms responsible for the weighbridge technology met legal standards for transparency and competition. This exercise forms part of the regulator's mandate to oversee the spending of public funds on infrastructure maintenance and the reliability of weighing equipment used in law enforcement.

The audit comes at a time when the government is under pressure to improve the efficiency of transit corridors and reduce delays caused by equipment downtime. By reviewing the procurement history of the Gilgil scales, the PPRA aims to verify that the technical systems used to protect road assets from overloading were acquired and are being maintained through lawful procedures.