Heavy commercial vehicles in Kenya will be legally treated as workplaces starting July 1 under new National Transport and Safety Authority regulations.
The 2026 Commercial Vehicles Regulations reclassify lorries, trailers and other heavy haulage vehicles above 3,048 kilogrammes tare weight as workplaces under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Regulation 5 states that a commercial vehicle shall be deemed to be a workplace within the meaning assigned to workplace under section 2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Operators must obtain an annual commercial vehicle operator licence at Ksh2,000 and a road licence at Ksh500 per vehicle. Vehicles require third-party insurance, inspection certificates, speed limiters, telematics systems, retro-reflective markings, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and underride protection devices.
Drivers must conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections, follow maximum driving hours and report faults immediately. Penalties for violations reach up to Ksh20,000 in fines or six months imprisonment.