It will cost Kenyans Sh3,000 to replace old motor-vehicle number plates to new digital ones.
The new generation of digital number plates will come with inbuilt security features that allow for tracing of cars ownership by law enforcement agencies.
During the launch in GSU Recce unit Headquarters in Ruiru, Nairobi, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said that the plates comply with the amended Traffic Act of 2016 and will bear additional features some of which shall be visible physically and others only to security agencies for ease of tracing in the event they are involved in committing crime.
“The plates that shall be fixed to vehicles imported to the country at the point of entry will be synchronised with KRA systems to help rid cases of tax evasion in car selling business,” he said.
He pointed out that the work is being done by a multi-agency unit of the security sector and is part of the reforms initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta after the 2019 Dusit attack.
Also present during the launch was Transport CS James Macharia who said that the new plates will cover 12 category of vehicles in line with the legal notice 62 of 2016 and allow ease of monitoring vehicles coming into the country that ranks as a major transit hub in the region.
“They form a basis for tracking and monitoring vehicles in the country which have risen significantly from 3.2M million last year to 4.8 million this year,” he said.
Dr Matiang’i was also accompanied by CS Joseph Mucheru (ICT) and NTSA Director General George Njao amongst other senior security officials.
He said that the government will have all motor vehicles in the country change the number plates within 18 months.
“When the NTSA team calls on Kenyans to change the plates, let us obey and get it done within those 18 months,” he added.
In January, while receiving the report on the revalidation of motor vehicle dealers and operators of garages, the CS said a multi-agency team had moved to tighten regulations and curb proceeds of crime laundered through such businesses to fund terrorism among other criminal activities.
This is part of the recommendations of an inter-agency team that had been formed with a mandate of revalidating all motor vehicle and motorcycle dealers, manufacturers, repairers of motor vehicles and tow truck owners.
The team was drawn from the transport and security sector.
“Following a report on revalidation of motor vehicle dealers and operators of garages by a Multi-Agency team, the government has moved to tighten regulations and curb proceeds of crime laundered through such businesses to fund terrorism among other criminal activities,” he said.
