News and Analysis
February 24, 2026
The National Transport and Safety Authority has announced a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with KCB Bank and Pesa Print to roll out the infrastructure of instant fines on highways across the country.
In a notice dated Tuesday, February 24, NTSA noted that the project will include the installation of 1,000 cameras along highways. 700 will be stationary speed enforcement cameras, while 300 will be mobile speed enforcement cameras.
The cameras will capture traffic offenders and send information about a motorist to a command centre before a fine is imposed.
The project, estimated to cost Ksh42 billion, is also expected to produce and issue Second-Generation Smart Driving Licenses (e-DL).
“The PPP service will incorporate the operationalisation of the instant fine infrastructure, including the mobile driving license wallet, driver merit and demerit point system, driver history and driver life cycle management,” read the notice in part.
NTSA’s latest announcement comes after a pilot that was implemented along select highways in Nairobi from November 2024.
Already, motorists have been receiving messages for traffic offences on their phones after being captured violating traffic rules along several roads in Nairobi.
Also Read: New Costs and Fines for Motorists in Proposed Traffic Rules
The enforcement of instant fines will start with the installation of cameras on the roads. The smart camera's main role is to capture traffic offences committed by motorists. In this case, the camera captures the videos of the incident in addition to the number plates of vehicles.
Afterwards, the system allows for this information to be transmitted to a command centre. After which, a message is sent to the offender's phone via SMS detailing the offence, where the offence was committed, and the fine to be paid.
A separate notice of the offence is also sent to the motorist's account on the NTSA portal.
A motorist is expected to pay the fines listed. Motorists will be able to pay fines via USSD, mobile money and banks.
‘’There are some digital cameras installed in some locations for testing; we've collected enough data and should be going into the second phase of institutionalising and procuring some of these cameras, both fixed and mobile, so that we can improve the behaviour on the roads," Interior CS Davis Chirchir stated during a Parliamentary committee hearing in 2025.
Also Read: Police Powers Under the Traffic Act
As published by NTSA, minor traffic offences will attract instant fines. The example of traffic offences includes speeding over the set limit (between a warning and Ksh10,000 depending on the exceeded limit), driving with an expired license (Ksh1,000) and travelling with part of the body outside a moving vehicle (Ksh1,000), among others.
"Warning: Violation of Section 42(1) of the Traffic Act. Your vehicle with Reg XXX was captured driving at a speed of 138 kph exceeding the speed limit of 110 kph on KIAMBAA on 2024-11-22 at 13:57:08. Slow down, fika salama," read and SMS sent to a motorist.
“We do not want to overload our courts with petty offences. We understand that when there is instant discipline, people tend not to misbehave on the road,” Chirchir detailed during the parliamentary hearing.
Also Read: Dealing With a Traffic Offence in Kenya: Important Rights to Know as a Driver
Smart DLs will be central to the implementation of these instant fines. KCB and Pesa Print are expected to produce 5 million smart DLs every three years for 21 years.
According to the NTSA's strategic plan, the red cover driving license will be phased out and replaced with the smart DLs.
Acquiring a smart DL will cost Ksh3,000. Replacing and renewing a smart DL will also cost Ksh3,000.
Out of the estimated 5,000,000 drivers, only 1,300,000 have acquired the smart driving licenses.
"Having established all legal requirements for regulating driving schools and instructors, a much stronger compliance program will now be initiated for driver training and testing. This will include establishing a three-year time period within which all drivers will need to have converted to the new driver's license, and all old licenses will be legally void," read part of the NTSA road safety strategic plan.
"This is critical to the integrity of road safety in the future, and will be accompanied by identity checks to eliminate identity fraud through the licensing system. With every Kenyan driver's smart driver's license, it will be possible to administer and implement an instant fine regime and a demerit point system."
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