Fined For not Applying for New Digital Number Plates

A couple of days back, the Kenyan government unveiled the new digital number plates that they say will help stop double registration and tame unscrupulous car importers.

These new digital number plates feature inbuilt security aspects that the government says will make it easier to trace the ownership of cars by law enforcement agencies. 

The cost of replacing the number plates is Ksh 3,000 and the government has given motorists 18 months to comply. Failure to do so will attract a fine of ksh 20,000 or a jail term of 6 months… 

It is not surprising that the government is coming up with threats instead of ways to educate motorists about the advantages of the new plates. The Kenyan government always thrives on threats rather than logic when dealing with such issues. 

Expected Amount to be Collected

With over 3.9 million registered vehicles in Kenya, the government will be collecting over Ksh 10 billion from motorists and motorcyclists. 

“Any person who contravenes any of the provisions in the traffic rules, which no specific penalty is provided, is liable for a fine not exceeding Sh20,000 or imprisonment for six months or both,” states the Traffic Act. 

These new digital number plates have anti-counterfeit features, including holograms, watermarks, and laser markers to make it easier for the police to trace information on particular vehicles and their owners.

“Commissioning of the new generation number plates marks a historic moment in securitizing vehicle registration by eliminating loopholes exploited by financial fraudsters and unscrupulous motor vehicle importers,” said Dr Matiang’i.

Some of the Things you Should know About New Digital Number Plates.

1. You will have up to 18 months to replace your older plates with new digital ones.
2. The application process will be done via NTSA (more of that in a few) and will cost you KES 3000.
3. Applications will be opened from October 1, 2022.
4. The plates will be issued to newly registered vehicles from now and onwards.
5. The ‘digital’ part of the plates is an embedded microprocessor, which will allow state or security agencies to track mission vehicles, or those that have been involved in a crime.
6. The plates also have an NTSA serial number that is linked with a vehicle’s chassis number.
7. The front and back number plates will not be the same but will be linked, nonetheless.
8. The plates have better-looking and are unique in a way that will prevent forgery.
9. The plates have a Kenyan flag on them. The flag has been plastered on them in a way that cannot be duplicated.
10. The is also a KENYA mark on the plates.
11. There is a hologram that features the Big Five animals (Rhino, elephant, et al.)
12. The back of the plate will also include the date of manufacture, batch number, and the number of the production machines.