After Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua threatened to call for a nationwide boycott of vehicle inspections, Dennis Itumbi has issued a clarification on concerns that National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) traffic fines are being paid into a private bank account.

Dennis Itumbi responds to Gachagua

Itumbi posted a lengthy statement on Facebook on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, where he dismissed Gachagua’s remarks as misleading and said the payment receipt in question showed that the biller was NTSA fines, not an individual.

“Some people who should know better have abandoned facts and embraced fake news. Instead of informing Kenyans, they are deliberately misleading them. Take the claims about the NTSA fines payment. The viral narrative was that the money was paid to someone called Cherono. That is simply not true,” Itumbi stated.

“The receipt clearly shows that the biller was NTSA FINES. The payment was made through a KCB Bank Agent. As with any bank transaction, the receipt displays the name of the agent who processed the payment. In this case, that agent was Catherine Jerono Tomno,” he elaborated.

“She did not receive the money. She only facilitated the transaction on behalf of KCB. To make the false story believable, those spreading it shared only part of the receipt and left out the section that clearly identifies the biller as NTSA FINES. I have attached the complete receipt, which speaks for itself,” he further explained.

“Before believing or sharing sensational claims, take a moment to check the facts. A full receipt tells the truth. A cropped one can be used to tell almost any story. Sina mengi ya kusema kwa sasa,” Itumbi wrote.

Gachagua warning

Itumbi’s response came after Gachagua, speaking from his Wamunyoro home, questioned how NTSA traffic fines were being processed and accused President William Ruto of capturing the transport agency.

“Mambo ya speed guard yenye imewekwa kwa barabara, with instant fines, wale ambao wamelipa hiyo pesa, haijaenda kwa NTSA, imeenda kwa cherono ambaye ni relative wa William Ruto.

“Kwa hivyo, hii maneno ya speed fight, ni pesa william Ruto anatafuta na marelative wake. itakuaje pesa inatakiwa iende kwa account ya NTSA, inaenda kwa cherono, how.

“This man has captured the NTSA. William Ruto akilazimisha magari yaende inspection, mimi Riggy G nitaagiza magari yote yasiende barabarani kwa wiki moja and bring the country to a standstill,” Gachagua said.

The former deputy president linked the matter to the wider debate on road safety enforcement, traffic fines and the government’s proposed vehicle inspection measures.

Itumbi explanation

In his response, Itumbi said the name appearing on the receipt was that of a KCB Bank agent who processed the transaction, not the recipient of the fine.

According to Itumbi, the full receipt identified the biller as NTSA FINES, while the agent’s name appeared because the payment was handled through a bank agent channel.

His explanation appeared aimed at separating the person who processed the transaction from the institution receiving the payment.

The dispute comes at a time when the National Transport and Safety Authority is facing growing political pressure over instant fines, traffic cameras, vehicle inspections and payment channels.

NTSA debate

The issue has now entered the broader political contest between the government and opposition leaders, with Gachagua framing the NTSA changes as another burden on motorists, while Itumbi has accused critics of misleading the public.

By the time of publication, NTSA, through DG Nashon Kondiwa, had defended the move to use banks instead of e-citizen, citing fears of fraud and theft. He said banks tend to be more safeer instead of online payments.

“Most payments on eCitizen are made via M-Pesa or credit card, eliminating cash transactions and physical interaction.

“However, out of an abundance of caution and to safeguard Kenyans against fraud, we introduced an additional layer of physical verification. As a result, motorists must visit a bank in person to pay NTSA fines,” Kondiwa said.