Kajiado Governor Joseph ole Lenku has lifted the one-year ban on night sand transport in the county in what looks set to lower the cost of the construction raw material in Nairobi.
Mr Lenku said he had heard the cries of the traders in the county about the unsustainability of the sand business if restricted to between 6am-6pm.
“I have been notified of the revenues we lose as a county and how the transporters have been unable to achieve their financial obligations due to the limiting trading hours,” he said.
“It has come to my attention some transporters have been unable to service their loans, prompting their lorries to be auctioned. Beginning February 1, we shall revert to the 24-hour trading time.”
The governor said the transporters should meet the axle load rules and pay county revenues in time to continue with their business.
The county imposed the ban after transporters and traders violated new regulations on sand harvesting and environment protection.
Nairobi depends on Kajiado, Makueni and Machakos as the sources of sand used in construction.
Sand prices hit an all-time high after the three counties banned or restricted harvesting, hitting property developers in Nairobi hard.
The ban saw sand prices rise by more than 30 per cent.
All sand transporters and traders had been required to register in saccos for easy monitoring and regulation. Sand loaders were required to have a medical cover to be allowed to operate and transporters slapped with new axle load caps to control overloading, among other stringent measures.
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