NAIROBI, Kenya — Motorists Reprieve: In a significant turn of events, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has eased its stance on the immediate enforcement of the new mandatory vehicle inspection requirements, offering a major reprieve to millions of private vehicle owners across Kenya.
The sudden directive comes just days before the scheduled July 1 rollout of a strict new road safety framework that had triggered widespread panic and confusion among motorists.
Traffic Police Ordered to Stand Down
In an official statement released by the authority, NTSA clarified that while owners of private vehicles older than four years are still legally expected to book annual safety checks via eCitizen, traffic officers have been strictly instructed not to demand inspection certificates during routine roadside stops.
“During route checks, traffic officers shall not enforce the mandatory inspection requirement on private motor vehicle owners,” the NTSA directive stated. The agency noted that a fully structured implementation and enforcement framework must be firmly in place before any fines or vehicle impoundments are carried out.
Temporary Relief for School and Commercial Transport
The enforcement freeze has also extended to the commercial and educational sectors. School transport operators will temporarily escape penalties for failing to install newly mandated telematic tracking systems or reflectorised red stop mechanical signal arms.
Similarly, commercial logistics and service vehicle operators have been granted a grace period regarding the compliance of advanced telematic frameworks and mandatory underride protection devices. NTSA has maintained that the specific rollout dates for these stringent technical clauses will be communicated independently in due course.
Fighting Online Misinformation
The transport regulator strongly cautioned the public against relying on speculative, unauthorized information circulating on social media regarding immediate towing, massive traffic fines, or targeted police crackdowns. Motorists have been strongly urged to look exclusively to verified communication channels and official NTSA platforms for valid compliance timelines.
While the immediate threat of roadside penalties has been cleared, NTSA emphasizes that the baseline requirement to maintain roadworthy vehicles remains active under the Traffic Act, and designated testing centers will still open on July 1 to process voluntary bookings. newsportal.co.ke
