Wednesday, July 01,
2026 - The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Director General
Nashon Kondiwa has defended the agency’s controversial directive requiring
motorists penalized with instant traffic fines to make payments physically at
KCB Bank branches.
During an interview on a local media house, Kondiwa
explained that NTSA deliberately avoided channeling payments through the
eCitizen platform, citing heightened risks of fraud.
He warned that fraudsters could easily exploit motorists by
sending fake payment links via SMS.
“The reason why we are not using eCitizen is because of
fraud. When it is M‑Pesa, confusing someone is very easy, so we are having a
second layer before people pay,” Kondiwa said.
He added that physical interaction at bank counters provides
an additional safeguard.
According to Kondiwa, the system was designed after reports
of fraudsters impersonating NTSA officials and soliciting payments via text
messages.
“Out of an abundance of caution and to protect Kenyans, we
added another layer of physical interaction,” he stated.
At KCB branches, motorists are required to present a fine
reference number, which is cross‑checked against the bank’s system before
payment is processed.
“You will find that same reference reflected in the bank’s
system, so you’re not paying money to an account without verification,” Kondiwa
noted.
On June 1st, NTSA rolled out a new digital
enforcement framework for minor traffic offences. Under the system, offenders
may receive a Police Notification of Traffic Offence instead of appearing in
court immediately.
Notifications can be delivered physically, affixed to
vehicles, or sent electronically via SMS and email.
Motorists can admit liability and pay fines within the
stipulated period or contest the charges in court.
The rollout has sparked debate, with critics alleging the
fines are more about revenue collection than road safety.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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