The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revealed that it recorded a marginal drop in the number of newly registered vehicles between April and May this year.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in its quarterly Leading Economic Indicators survey report, NTSA registered only 20,132 vehicles in May compared to 21,056 in April.
The survey was mainly based on the body type of vehicles, with station wagons recording the highest drop from a staggering 7,398 in April to 5,953 in May 2025.
Other types of vehicles that also recorded a decline in registration include saloon cars, which recorded a drop by 20 units from 430 in April, vans, minibuses, trailers and wheeled tractors.
However, the report did not disclose the primary reason for the decline. Nonetheless, the drop might be due to several factors, including a weakening economy that has affected the purchasing power.
Other factors could include the rising cost of vehicles, mainly driven by the ever-fluctuating shilling, which consequently affects the vehicle importers.
On the flip side, pickups recorded a surge in the number of new registrations, moving from 236 units in April to 280 units in May. Lorries and three-wheelers also saw a significant rise in registrations.
Overall, on a month-to-month basis, January and March recorded the highest numbers of newly registered vehicles at 22,632 units and 22,544 units, respectively.
Meanwhile, the the drop comes despite an intial order by NTSA directing both national and county government entities to register their vehicles and apply for reflective number plates.
In the directive, the Authority ordered all government entities to compy before August 29 failure to which they would face impoundment during nationwide enforcement operation that would be led by NTSA officials jointly with the police.
The order was part of the broader strategy by the government to curb the rising cases of vehicle theft and other vehicle-related criminal activties in the country.
“Measures have been put in place to ensure there is capacity to meet the increased demand,” NTSA revealed. The directive was expected to cause a surge in resgitrations as more vehicles would be forced to comply before the deadline.
