The National Transport Safety Authority has started inspecting vehicles that are more than four years old in a move that spells trouble for motorists.
The years are calculated from the date of manufacture.
This means the National Transport and Safety Authority will inspect almost all vehicles on the roads. There are more than 3.2 million vehicles on Kenyan roads.
Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said NTSA had on May 10 started to enforce the Traffic Act on the inspection of vehicles.
Director of Administration at the ministry Paul Famba issued a memo to all heads of departments saying NTSA will enforce Section 16 (2) of the Traffic Act that requires inspection of every vehicle above four years from the date of manufacture regardless of ownership.
“The Act specifically provides that every vehicle more than four years old from the recorded date of manufacture shall be subjected to inspection by the motor vehicle inspection unit,” he said in the memo dated May 10.
NTSA had written to the ministry seeking help to enforce the section of the law that was put in place in 2019.
“This is therefore to ask you to urgently arrange to have your vehicles inspected,” Famba said in the memo issued on behalf of Kibicho.
The move is likely to cause more trouble for motorists as there are limited number of approved inspection centres in the country.
Some motorists say authorities may use this rule to harass and extort money from them.
NTSA said the owner of a vehicle which is required to be inspected shall, before the inspection is carried out, pay to a licensing officer the fee prescribed therefore.
NTSA had said the move was part of efforts to curb road carnage.
According to NTSA, a motorcycle costs Sh1,300, three wheelers and vehicles up to 3000cc Sh2,600, vehicles over 3000cc Sh3,900, trailers up to five tonnes Sh2,000, trailers over five tonnes and heavy commercial vehicles Sh4,600.
Booking for inspection will be done online through the NTSA account.
The authority said vehicles involved in an accident may be subjected to a motor vehicle inspection test.
Vehicles, which undergo any changes in the length, height, width, maximum payload, colour, engine swap, and other major structural or mechanical changes shall be subject to a modification inspection.
Commercial, public service, driving school vehicles, and school buses shall undergo a preregistration inspection and an annual periodic vehicle inspection thereafter.
The new rules also require vehicles to be inspected for safety requirements in accordance with Kenya Standard 1515 and any other standard adopted by the Kenya Bureau of Standards from time to time and any other relevant legislation.
All salvage vehicles will also be subjected to inspection after repairs and an annual periodic inspection thereafter.
A person interested in becoming a vehicle inspector will make an application to the NTSA.
The authority shall licence privately-owned vehicle inspection centres to conduct tests on its behalf.
NTSA will also only issue a privately-owned vehicle inspection centre licence to the applicant if it is satisfied that the proposed centre meets the space and equipment required and is not engaged in the business of repairing vehicles at the inspection centre.
