Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Davis Chirchir has announced that the government is in the process of rolling out instant fines for motorists and boda boda riders who flout traffic rules.
Speaking during the National Road Safety Conference organised by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in Mombasa, CS Chirchir said the proposal to introduce instant fines was in its final stages.
“We are working on an instant fine system that brings together the NTSA, as the enforcer and manager of the Traffic Act, the police, and the judiciary to ensure effective implementation of the law,” said Chirchir.
“We are in the final stages and will be looking at a cabinet memo that addresses how revenues collected—under what is called appropriation in aid—will be shared among the agencies implementing the instant fines.”
CS Chirchir Unveils Govt Plan for Instant Road Fines on Traffic Offenders
According to CS Chirchir, the system is designed to prevent overloading the courts with minor offenses.
He added that with instant discipline in place, people are more likely to follow the rules and avoid misbehaving on the road.
“We already have the building blocks of the proposal, which will also determine how the instant fines collected will be shared,” said Chirchir.
“We just need to take the proposal to cabinet and reach agreements with the judiciary, the National Police, NTSA, and, of course, the Ministry of Transport on revenue management.”
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The CS mentioned that the process will leverage technology to capture activities at major road junctions, with footage relayed to an Intelligent Transport Management System (ITS) in a central control room.
Chirchir further stated that the government is deliberating on how to fund the system and maintain the cameras to ensure its long-term effectiveness in addressing reckless driving.
“The system will cost money, and we need to determine who will own the cameras, who will maintain them, and who will have access to the control room to monitor what is happening on our roads once the instant fines are implemented through the junction cameras,” he said.
“We are also putting in place an integrated traffic system, alongside the digital driving license. This is fairly advanced, and we are actively working on it.”
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How the New System Will Work
According to the agencies, the system will help police avoid allegations of bribery, as offenders will be issued a ticket or a pay bill number to ensure fines are paid.
“The police or enforcer does not have to worry. He just writes you the ticket, and it is then up to the offender to pay on the spot or later. Given the complexity of road safety funding, this initiative will add to the limited resources we currently have,” said Michael Muchiri from the Ministry of Transport during a panel discussion.
On his part, Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) official William Oginga said one of the key challenges facing road agencies in the country is funding.
He added that instant fines will require collaboration between NTSA and the police to ensure offenders pay on the spot without lengthy processes.
“Some black spots remain unrepaired due to costs, with funding for such projects often tied to road safety,” he said.
This comes as new data from NTSA shows that Kenya has recorded 3,397 road crash deaths in the first nine months of 2025.
The figure represents about 12 road accident fatalities daily and marks 28 more fatalities than the same period last year.
A total of 17,270 people have been affected by crashes, 291 more than in 2024. Pedestrians accounted for the highest number of deaths at 1,285, followed by 858 motorcyclists.
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