The Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education held a consultative meeting with officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on March 25, 2025.
The meeting chaired by Bumula lawmaker Jack Wamboka focused on addressing adverse findings flagged in the Auditor General’s reports.
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NTSA, led by Director General George Njao, were questioned over delayed implementation of the Smart Driving License Printing Solution.
Despite the supplier delivering 4,042,050 smart cards at a cost of Ksh1.19 billion, only 1,479,176 cards had been printed in six years.
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This left a staggering 2,562,874 unutilized cards valued at Kshs.788 million sitting idle in NTSA stores.
Members also noted that the project, initially meant to last three years until March 2020, is now four years behind schedule, raising their fears of public funds being wasted.
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Besides, the committee criticized NTSA’s lack of equitable service distribution across Kenya, with some regions having numerous NTSA offices while others had none.
The MPs called for affirmative action to ensure NTSA services are accessible in all 47 counties.
Smart Driving License is the new generation Driving License which contains all the details of a Driver in Kenya such as your Full names, driving history, vehicles driven, accidents caused, blood group, biometrics among other persons information.
The license expires after 3 years of use and the application Fee is Ksh.3050.
Some of the requirements for Smart Driving Licence application include ID number, Phone number, KRA PIN and Blood group.
NTSA Smart Driving License Application Process
Before you apply, you need to create a TIMS account if you don’t have one.
- Log in to NTSA TIMS portal, then click on register.
- Click on the Individuals option.
- Enter your ID Serial Number. (Note: It is not your ID number).
- If you have replaced your ID within the last two years you will have to use your old ID Card’s serial number. (In case the system rejects any of your details you are advised to visit NTSA offices).
- Enter your mother’s maiden name.
- Add your KRA PIN Number.
- Confirm your details.
Also Read: NTSA Sets 8 Requirements for Commercial Vehicles
Land Ownership & Laptops
Further, the Committee grilled NTSA over unaccounted land ownership and unsupported computer issuances to board members.
Njao admitted that 15 parcels of land used for motor vehicle inspection were not listed as assets in the Authority’s financial statements.
However, he assured the lawmakers that efforts were underway to conduct valuation and officially incorporate the parcels in their financial records by June 30, 2025.
The audit report also revealed that NTSA had procured laptops for board members without a clear policy on issuance, security, or return.
Lawmakers raised concerns over possible theft, misuse, and waste of public funds, calling for preventative measures to curb such irregularities.
Also Read: NTSA Lists Safety Tips for Motorists Driving in Wet Weather
Service Disruption
The meeting came at a time when NTSA online services were temporarily unavailable after a system downtime on March 25.
In an update at 11:17am, the Authority said the technical team was working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality.
NTSA apologized for the inconvenience caused and promised to notify customers once the system is back on.
This was followed by another update at 4:46pm announcing that the system had been fully restored.
“You can access our systems without interruption. We appreciate your patience during the downtime,” reads part of the update.
“In case of any issues, reach out to us via the official channels. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued support.”
The Committee also met with officials from Kenya School of Law (KSL), Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
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