The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revealed the amount it collects annually from licenses and other services as it pushes to retain part of the revenue for road safety programs.
In a meeting with the National Assembly Committee on Transport on August 11 at its head office in Nairobi, NTSA officials led by Director General Nahashon Kodhiwa told lawmakers that the authority generates between KSh9 billion and KSh10 billion annually.Â
The funds, Kodhiwa added, are critical to scaling up enforcement, public education, and data systems needed to reduce the rising number of road fatalities in the country. However, he expressed concern that the authority faces financial constraints despite the collections, as a large portion of the revenue is surrendered to the National Treasury.
“We generate between 9 and 10 billion annually of own-source revenue; however, we access a very small percentage of this money, making it difficult for us to do what is required by law,” said Mr. Kodhiwa.
Why NTSA Seeks to Retain KSh3 Billion
Following the discussion, the authority asked the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, led by Hon. George Kariuki, to support its bid to retain Ksh 3 billion of its own-source revenue to fund road safety programs.
“The Ksh 3 billion we are seeking to retain will go directly into interventions that save lives. This includes strengthening compliance checks, rolling out digital number plates, enhancing the TIMS system, and expanding road safety campaigns,” he added.
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Hon. Kariuki, Committee Chairman, in his response to the request, agreed that the Committee would need to support NTSA in securing financial empowerment to help curb deaths on Kenyan roads.
“I don’t see a reason why all your resources should be moved to the Treasury and leave you struggling; as a Committee, we support your request because it will save lives”, he said.
MPs Call for Closer Coordination on Road Safety and Public Transport
MPs Samuel Arama and Zaheer Jhanda urged NTSA to work closely with other agencies such as the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to identify roads requiring attention and improve safety.
The committee further asked NTSA to reconsider the plan to impose speed limits on highways, arguing that the move could worsen traffic congestion.
On the boda boda and matatu sectors, the MPs called for streamlined operations, stronger policies and increased presence across the country to improve safety and support job creation.
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On his part, Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang called for closer cooperation between national and county governments, including County Assemblies, to improve regulation of the transport sector.
Jomvu MP Twalib Bady urged the authority to work with MPs through CDF funding to support youth in the transport sector through training and road safety education.
The committee later inspected the NTSA motor vehicle inspection unit on Likoni Road, Industrial Area, as part of its engagement with the authority.
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