The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) faces a severe crisis as revealed by a recent audit, exposing deep-rooted inefficiencies and outdated systems.
The audit, led by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, has uncovered a staggering backlog of crucial documents and faulty equipment, painting a bleak picture of the authority that is under the Ministry of Transport.
The audit report released on Sunday, June 30, highlights the alarming state of the NTSA's regional offices. Stocks of 20,006 number plates, 17,474 motor vehicle logbooks, and 5,753 smart driving licences lie uncollected, gathering dust and serving no purpose.
Shockingly, some of these documents have been languishing in storage for over five years, with expired drivers' licences among the pile.
The audit reveals discrepancies between system records and physical stocks, suggesting significant administrative lapses. While the system restricts collection to authorised personnel, regional offices allowed unauthorised individuals to retrieve items, causing further disarray.
The report also sheds light on the dire lack of biometric kits essential for the enrolment of smart driving licences. Despite the programme's launch nearly six years ago to replace the old red book drivers' licences, NTSA operates with only twenty biometric kits, four of which are faulty.
This insufficiency forces many Huduma centres to function merely as collection points, resulting in long queues and frustrated citizens.
Most of NTSA's regional offices are housed in dilapidated buildings inherited from the traffic police and Mechanical Transport Department.
These facilities are in a state of disrepair, lacking essential security features, and have inadequate sitting space. Offices in Voi, Embu, and Kericho are particularly affected, with Voi office having just one operational fan despite the scorching heat.
Additionally, the Machakos and Embu offices, though spacious, suffer from uneven grounds prone to flooding during rainy seasons. The absence of waiting sheds and bays exacerbates crowding during driver test services and mass inspections, creating chaos and discomfort for the public.
Inspection equipment and facilities across regional offices in Nakuru, Kericho, Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Mombasa, Voi, Machakos, Nyeri, and Embu are either obsolete or faulty, rendering them ineffective.
Officers are forced to conduct manual vehicle inspections, compromising the accuracy and reliability of reports as they juggle between physical checks and online data entry.
