The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has officially begun cracking down on speeding drivers after installing digital cameras on roads.
NTSA installed digital speed cameras on major highways, targeting Kenyans who exceed speed limits, with penalties including hefty fines or even jail terms in extreme cases.
With the new digitisation system, motorists exceeding speed limits receive notifications on their mobile phones, and fines are automatically posted to the offender's NTSA accounts.
Offenders are then required to pay the fines promptly via mobile money transfer services.
"I received two text messages for poor driving, the first one informing me that I am driving at a speed higher than 110, and I need to pay a certain amount of money," Ndia Member of Parliament George Kariuki revealed.
According to the MP, the messages feature several key details, including the speeding vehicle's registration, the time of committing the offence, the exact speed limit that was exceeded, and the name of the owner under which the vehicle is registered.
The penalties vary with the zone where the offense was committed, and they are based on the Traffic Act regulations. For instance, exceeding the prescribed speed limit by six-ten kilometers per hour attracts a fine of Kshs3,000.
The move is part of broader efforts by the Ministry of Transport to manage traffic offences.
According to Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, the system has been in the pilot phase since November 2024, but the Ministry has officially rolled it out.
"So far, we have collected enough data, and now we are going into the second phase of the institution, license, and procurement of some of these speed cameras," Chirchir said.
The implementation follows a six-month pilot phase involving fixed speed cameras on major roads, including Thika Superhighway, Mombasa Road, and the Southern Bypass, with the project expected to extend to other roads.
While the Ministry aims to introduce technology-driven enforcement of speed limits, many motorists are unaware of the active speed surveillance, prompting calls for public awareness.
"It is important that we educate the people to understand, not just to put a rule. Yes, it helps to get the people to charge them and all, but that is not the issue; the important thing is to make the drivers understand the consequences," a driver said.
Drivers who are aware of the new system have, however, appreciated the move by the Ministry, hailing it as a great way to curb road carnage.
