The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has asked all vehicle owners who received notifications to collect their new generation number plates.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 18, NTSA directed all owners who received the SMS notifications to visit the centers they had identified in the application process.
“We humbly request motor vehicle owners who received SMS notifications of reflective number plates to visit the centers they had identified during the application process,” the statement read.
The process of processing and issuing the new generation number plates has been ongoing since 2022.
After an uproar from Kenyans complaining of slow progress, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited NTSA offices in September and directed officials to expedite the process.
In his visit that drew both praise and criticism, the CS gave NTSA an ultimatum of two weeks to clear the backlog and reduce the time taken to apply and collect the new plates.
Also Read: New Generation Number Plates Launched by The Government
Murkomen challenges NTSA
In addition to issuance of number plates, CS Murkomen directed the agency to expedite the delivery of other government services including driving licenses.
“I have given NTSA two weeks to clear this backlog and notify Kenyans of their nearest collection points and put in place the necessary mechanisms to speed up the turnaround time for processing and issuance of DLs, logbooks and digital number plates,” the CS directed.
Consequently, the road safety authority adopted measures including adjustment of working hours in a bid to maximize the number of number plates issued within the given timeline.
Also Read: NTSA Changes Operating Hours After Murkomen Order
Additionally, NTSA’s offices remained open in the last weekend of September and first Saturday of October to allow more owners to collect their number plates.
Benefits of new number plates
Introduced in 2022 during the former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime, the number plates referred to as the reflective number plates would help to among others enhance security of the vehicles since the come with features that allow tracking.
In addition, the number plates would help the government in curbing tax evasion by virtue of being trackable.
Different from the previous generation, the reflective plates would bear a Kenyan flag, QR Code, an NTSA serial number and a new font to enhance their aesthetic appeal.
To ensure convenience in the roll out process, the government gave an 18-month grace period for motor vehicle owners to apply and collect the new generation plates.
