Motorists’ Association demands answers from NTSA over 70,000 number plate shortage
By Aloys Michael, February 24, 2026The Motorist Association of Kenya (MAK) has intensified pressure on the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) regarding a shortage of over 70,000 number plates, calling for transparency on how funds meant to resolve the issue have been utilised.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the association attributed the shortage to delayed disbursements from the National Treasury to NTSA, which has left suppliers unpaid and unable to provide the necessary materials for plate manufacturing.
“If citizens pay upfront for plates, and the government collects a heavy excise duty at the point of importation, how can there be no funds to produce number plates?” MAK stated.
The authority questions why vehicle owners in Kenya pay number plate fees upfront during mandatory registration, and importers pay excise duty that sometimes matches the vehicle’s full Cost, Insurance and Freight value, yet NTSA lacks funding.
The backlog includes approximately 51,000 motorcycles, 7,000 new cars, and 750 tuk-tuks, with production hitches specifically hitting the KDV-W, X, Y, and Z series plates as of mid-February.
Without physical car plates, banks cannot process asset financing transfers, meaning cars sit in showrooms while loan paperwork stalls indefinitely.
Thousands of imported vehicles remain stuck at the Port of Mombasa, unable to reach dealers or buyers, intensifying financial strain across the automotive supply chain.
To manage this, dealers are relying on Kenya Dealer (KD) number plates, green, temporary registration plates issued to licensed motor vehicle dealers, garages, and importers for moving unregistered vehicles.
These plates allow vehicles to be transported from the port to showrooms, used in test drives, or taken for repairs between 6 am and 6 am.
They are intended solely for authorised movements, and any misuse can result in vehicle impoundment by authorities.
NTSA has stated that it sends SMS alerts to applicants once their plates are ready, and motorists can also monitor the NTSA Service Status Portal to track uncollected plates or driving licenses.
Despite these measures, the MAK has expressed dissatisfaction with these partial solutions.
“Public accountability is not optional. If money is collected for number plates, it must be used for number plates,” stated MAK.
The association is now pressing NTSA and the National Treasury to publicly account for where upfront plate fees and excise duty collections have gone, and why suppliers remain unpaid while collections continue.