NTSA mulls reinstating instant traffic fines from November 26

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6 – The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) could reinstate the instant traffic fines system from November 26, 2026, if ongoing legal challenges surrounding the programme are resolved.

NTSA Director of Road Safety Andrew Kiplagat said the framework for implementing instant fines was already in place but remained on hold because of court cases challenging aspects of the enforcement system.

Speaking on Citizen TV on Monday, Kiplagat said the authority was working to overcome the legal hurdles before resuming the programme.

“NTSA is having a programme on instant fines, which again is not happening because of legal impediments because of court cases,” Kiplagat said.

“Challenges are being addressed, and we believe that once this is finalised, we hope that by November 26 it will give us room to deter some drivers’ behaviours,” he added.

He said the proposed system is intended to strengthen enforcement against speeding and other traffic offences by making it easier to identify and penalise motorists who violate traffic rules.

Kiplagat said the authority was optimistic that the outstanding legal issues would be addressed in time to allow enforcement to resume.

The move is part of wider efforts by the Transport Ministry and NTSA to tackle dangerous driving, which officials have identified as a major contributor to road crashes and fatalities.

Kiplagat said the ongoing review of the Traffic Act was aimed at closing loopholes and strengthening the legal framework governing traffic enforcement.

He said the review was also examining how offences such as speeding and drink-driving are dealt with, with the government seeking to improve compliance among motorists.

The NTSA official further disclosed that the Transport Ministry was engaging Senate leadership over three traffic regulations that were recently annulled by the Upper House.

The affected regulations include those dealing with school transport, motor vehicle inspection and the operation of commercial vehicles.

The Senate annulled the regulations in July after concerns were raised over the adequacy of public participation before they were introduced.

Kiplagat said the government was seeking to resolve the impasse as it works to strengthen regulation of different categories of vehicles.

He noted that the regulations on commercial vehicles were particularly important because heavy commercial vehicles present different road safety risks from public service vehicles.

Kiplagat also said new vehicle inspection requirements were being pursued to bring more categories of vehicles under regular inspection.

Currently, he said, the inspection regime is largely focused on public service vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles, leaving gaps that the proposed changes are intended to address.

Another key component of the proposed enforcement measures is the return of speed cameras on designated roads.

Kiplagat said the cameras would be deployed in clearly marked speed zones to automatically identify motorists exceeding the prescribed limits.

“The camera will capture the violation and send it, then give you time to pay, and if you do not pay, there are other procedures that follow next,” he said.

The proposed system would therefore allow traffic violations to be detected electronically, with motorists notified of the offence and required to settle the resulting fine within the prescribed period.

The revival of instant fines and speed-camera enforcement is expected to reignite debate over the balance between stronger road safety enforcement and motorists’ rights to due process.

The government has increasingly turned to technology and legislative reforms in an effort to curb road crashes, with speeding, reckless driving and drink-driving remaining among the behaviours targeted by road safety authorities.