Jubilee Deputy Party Leader Fred Matiang'i has raised concerns over the government’s plan to introduce annual vehicle inspections for private vehicles older than four years.
In a statement on Sunday, June 28, Matiang’i argued that the additional charges would further burden motorists who are already grappling with high fuel prices.
“Kenyans are already burdened by high fuel prices, multiple taxes and levies, rising insurance premiums, expensive spare parts, parking charges, licensing fees and an increasing cost of living.
“Introducing another compulsory annual payment without demonstrating its necessity places yet another financial burden on households and businesses that are already under immense pressure,” read the statement in part.
Matiang’i asked the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to reveal how many active private vehicles would be affected by the directive.
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He also sought to know how much revenue the government expects to collect annually from the mandatory inspections.
“How much revenue does the Government expect to collect annually?” Matiang’i posed.
The Jubilee deputy party leader challenged NTSA to provide evidence demonstrating that annual inspections would reduce road accidents.
“What evidence demonstrates that annual inspections for vehicles older than four years will significantly reduce road accidents?” he posed.
Matiang’i also questioned what proportion of road crashes in Kenya is caused by mechanical defects compared to human error, poor road design and traffic congestion.
Further, he asked whether NTSA has sufficient inspection capacity to efficiently serve millions of motorists without creating long delays.
"Does NTSA currently have sufficient inspection capacity to serve millions of motorists efficiently without creating long delays and opportunities for corruption?" he asked.
In addition, Matiang’i asked the authority to explain the safeguards put in place to ensure that this programme does not become an avenue for corruption and harassment.
The former Interior CS asked Parliament to scrutinize the policy and require NTSA to table all supporting evidence before implementation proceeds.
According to Matiang’i, the government must first address the major causes of road accidents comprehensively if it is genuinely committed to saving lives.
“These include reckless driving, speeding, drunk driving, poor road design, inadequate road maintenance, weak enforcement of existing traffic laws and traffic congestion. Vehicle condition is only one part of a much larger road safety strategy,” he stated.
Matiang’i urged Kenyans to reject the policy and demand a transparent, evidence-based and affordable road safety framework.
On Friday, June 26, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa announced that the mandatory inspection of private motor vehicles older than four years will start from July 1, 2026.
Kondiwa also clarified that NTSA has not licensed any private entity to offer motor vehicle inspection services, urging motorists to seek inspection services only through the authority.
"Enforcement of mandatory inspection of private motor vehicles shall be communicated to the public in due course. NTSA has not yet licensed any private entity to offer motor vehicle inspection services," Kondiwa said.
Vehicle owners will be required to book inspections through the NTSA service portal on the eCitizen platform, with all inspections to be conducted at NTSA centres.
NTSA also confirmed that inspections for school transport vehicles and commercial service vehicles will continue to be conducted at NTSA centres. Operators have been urged to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and display valid inspection stickers.
