Motorists travelling during the festive season face instant penalties as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), working jointly with the National Police Service and the Judiciary, rolls out mobile courts along major highways to enforce traffic laws.
The crackdown comes as holiday travel peaks, a period traditionally associated with a surge in road accidents as thousands of Kenyans head upcountry for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Offenders are being fined on the spot for a range of traffic violations, with authorities saying the operation is intended to deter risky behaviour and improve overall road safety.
The enforcement drive also aligns with the Cabinet’s December 16 approval of the rollout of the second generation smart driving licences.
The new system incorporates instant fines, a mobile licence wallet and a merit-and-demerit points framework for drivers, marking a significant shift in how traffic offences are managed.
NTSA said the joint operation is focused on reducing road crashes while sensitising motorists against avoidable offences such as speeding and drink-driving.
“We reaffirm our commitment to improving road safety by heightening operations against drink-driving, especially during the festive season and throughout the year. Driving under the influence of alcohol severely impairs judgment, slows reaction times, and compromises vehicle [control],” the authority said.
Thika team conducts a joint enforcement operation at castle along Thika road, December 22, 2025. /NTSA
Under the Traffic Act, minor traffic offences are prosecuted in accordance with Section 117 of the law.
The Act provides for instant fines, with the statutory maximum penalties outlined in the First Schedule, which replaced traffic rules that had been in use since 1975.
Fines for minor offences range from Sh500 to a maximum of Sh10,000, depending on the nature of the violation, and apply to all motorised vehicles, including motorcycles.
Offences that attract the maximum fine of Sh10,000 include driving without identification plates affixed or with plates not fixed in the prescribed manner, and operating a vehicle without a valid inspection certificate.
Exceeding the 50 kph speed limit, or the speed prescribed for a particular class of vehicle or by a traffic sign, by between 16 and 20 kph also carries a Sh10,000 penalty.
Other violations in this category include causing obstruction by leaving a vehicle in a position that blocks the road, employing an unlicensed PSV driver or conductor, and failing to fit a prescribed speed governor in a PSV or commercial vehicle.
A fine of Sh5,000 applies to driving on a footpath, pavement or pedestrian walkway.
Drivers who refuse to stop when required by a police officer in uniform, as well as those driving a PSV while unqualified, also face a Sh5,000 penalty.
NTSA and traffic police carry out compliance checks along Kisumu- Maseno road, December 22, 2025. /NTSA
Several offences attract a Sh3,000 fine. These include driving without a valid licence endorsement for the class of vehicle, failing to obey lawful directions given verbally or by signal by a uniformed police officer, or disregarding traffic signs.
Failure to display reflective triangles or lifesavers when a vehicle remains on the road is similarly penalised.
Touting, failing to refund fare for an incomplete journey where full fare was paid, and allowing an unauthorised person to drive a vehicle—a practice commonly referred to in the matatu industry as “squad”—also fall under this category.
Driving or operating a PSV with tinted windows or windscreen, and picking or dropping passengers at undesignated places, equally attract a Sh3,000 fine. Lower-tier offences attract fines of Sh1,000.
These include boarding or alighting from a vehicle at an undesignated place, travelling with part of the body outside a moving vehicle, failing to renew, carry or produce a driving licence on demand, and a motorcycle rider carrying more than one pillion passenger.
Motorcycle riders and passengers who fail to wear protective gear are each liable to a Sh1,000 fine.
Using a mobile phone while driving attracts a Sh2,000 penalty, as does failure to carry reflective or warning signs in a vehicle, or failure by a PSV driver or conductor to wear the prescribed badge and uniform.
Pedestrians are not exempt from penalties. A pedestrian who wilfully obstructs the free passage of vehicles risks a Sh500 fine.
The same penalty applies for failure to wear a seat belt while a vehicle is in motion, or for a PSV failing to keep seat belts in a clean, dry and wearable condition.
As enforcement intensifies across the country, authorities are urging all road users to comply with traffic regulations, warning that violations during the festive rush will be met with swift penalties.
by EMMANUEL WANJALA
