By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, July 1, 2026 - Private vehicle owners will not be required to undergo mandatory annual inspections just yet after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) postponed enforcement of the new policy, citing inadequate inspection infrastructure.
The decision comes after widespread public concern and legal challenges over the planned rollout of mandatory inspections for private vehicles more than four years old.
Speaking during an interview, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa said vehicle inspections will begin from 1 July, but participation by private motorists will remain voluntary until the authority expands its inspection capacity.
"Inspections begin almost immediately from tomorrow. If you want to bring your vehicle for inspection, you can bring it to NTSA inspection centres," Kondiwa said.
He explained that compulsory enforcement has been deferred because the country does not yet have enough inspection centres to handle the expected demand.
"The mandatory requirement is what we are going to postpone until we have enough centres," he said.
According to Kondiwa, NTSA plans to increase the number of public inspection centres from the current 17 to 47 by the end of 2026, while licensing at least 70 privately operated inspection centres by June 2027.
"We intend to have the 47 public centres by the end of this year. For the private ones, we are going to take up to a year, so that would be by June 2027," he said.
The authority expects mandatory inspections for private vehicles to begin only after the expanded inspection network is fully operational.
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However, the postponement does not affect commercial vehicles and public service vehicles (PSVs), which will continue to undergo mandatory inspections as part of existing licensing requirements.
"There will be no mandatory enforcement except for the vehicles that require inspection for the sake of licensing, and that is commercial and PSV," Kondiwa said.
The announcement marks a significant shift from NTSA's earlier position that annual inspections for private vehicles older than four years would begin on 1 July as part of measures to improve road safety.
The policy attracted criticism from motorists and prompted several court cases challenging its legality, implementation and the authority's preparedness to enforce it nationwide.
NTSA has also cautioned the public against relying on misinformation circulating online regarding the inspection programme.
"The authority has noted the circulation of inaccurate and misleading information regarding motor vehicle inspection. We strongly urge the public to rely exclusively on official communication issued directly by the Authority through its official channels," it said in a statement.
Once fully implemented, the inspection programme will assess key safety features such as brakes, headlights and vehicle identification details to ensure vehicles on Kenyan roads meet the required safety standards.
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