In Kenya, we have eCitizen, a centralized portal that acts as a one-stop-shop for all government services, from Immigration services to the Registration of companies and Taxes and everything in between. While this is all well and good, there have been areas that have lagged behind conspicuously. Take the Number Plates for instance. Motor vehicles in Kenya arguably have one of the least attractive license plates in the world right now. (Come fight me on this one.) Well, all this is set to change soon. Today, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and his cabinet colleagues James Macharia (Transport) and Joe Mucheru (ICT) jointly unveiled the new generation of license plates that will be mandatory for all Kenyan road users soon.
Kenya’s new ATM-like Smart driver’s Licence will improve road safety and lessen crime
These new generation license plates will have a far more attractive font type that still remains visible while looking a lot more modern. Additionally, they’ll include a QR code, hologram, an NTSA-issued serial number with the front one being different from the back plate, and the Kenyan flag because, why not! Now, Kenyan motorists have a year and a half, 18 months, to obtain the new generation license plates for their motor vehicles for them to be considered road legal so the race is on to get one of these. After this, the government says there will be a crackdown on non-compliant motorists. You’ll need to part with KES 3000 for the new generation license plate. These will be issued by the National Transport and Safety Authority, NTSA in due course, presumably via their eCitizen portal. The current procedure for applying for a replacement License plate via the platform is pretty tedious and involves a lot of delays, bureaucracy and in some instances, fines. Here’s to hoping that NTSA comes with a more streamlined process.
