Heavy Penalties For Kenyans Who Don't Buy New Number Plates

The plates will also put Kenya on the global map, among countries that are compliant with the Vienna Traffic Conventions on global standards for number plates including look-and-feel features.

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Aug 31, 2022 - 08:59 Updated: Aug 31, 2022 - 09:04
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Heavy Penalties For Kenyans Who Don't Buy New Number Plates
The new-look number plates introduced on August 30, 2022. /FILE

Motorists risk paying a fine of Ksh20,000 or a jail term of six months if they don't acquire the new-look digital registration number plates for vehicles that were launched on Tuesday, August 30.

Speaking during the launch of the new generation plates at GSU Recce unit Headquarters in Ruiru, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS), Fred Matiang'i revealed that the plates would be launched starting with the KDK series for newly-registered vehicles from October 1, 2022.

The plates will also put Kenya on the global map, among countries that are compliant with the Vienna Traffic Conventions on global standards for number plates including look-and-feel features.

Interior CS Fred Matiang'i launched new number plates with hidden security features on August 30, 2022. /FRED MATIANG'I

The plates are in compliance with the amended Traffic Act of 2016 and will bear additional inbuilt features. Some of them will be displayed physically and others visible plainly to security agencies for ease of tracing in the event they are involved in committing a crime.

Matiang'i noted that the new number plates will make it difficult for the production of fake number plates which have been used in criminal activities.

“Criminals have been driving cars around with number plates that were initially issued to tractors. Many bankers have been left holding logbooks registered fraudulently since they cannot trace the vehicles used as collateral,” he said.

Motorists will have 18 months to get the new number plates in exchange for their older counterparts at a cost of Ksh3,000.

To curb incidences of tax evasion in the sale of motor vehicles, the number plates will be synchronised with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) systems. This is one of the unique features that the plates will carry.

Others include a unique template, a specially-imprinted national flag, hologram, watermark, unique and different serial numbers for rear and front plates linked to the vehicle’s chassis number and customized font.

To enable wireless information transfer between it and mobile police devices or at traffic signals, the new number plates are attached with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) microchip placed on the sticker.

The smart plates, which will be easily identifiable to law enforcement officers, will also store information such as year of manufacturer, type and colour of vehicle, engine number, transmission type, date and place of manufacture, and insurance details.

"They form a basis for tracking and monitoring vehicles in the country which have risen significantly from 3.2 million last year to 4.8 million this year," Transport CS James Macharia spoke regarding the features.

The General Service Unit (GSU) Recce unit headquarters is producing the next-generation number plates. Macharia added that they will be in place amongst 12 categories of vehicles in line with the legal notice 62 of 2016.

The new-look number plates introduced on August 30, 2022. /DAILY NATION

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