Motorists will now face a fine of up to Sh20,000 or a jail term of six months if they fail to apply for a new digital number plate in the next 18 months.
The new number plates are aimed at stopping double registration of vehicles and taming unscrupulous car importers as the country moves to restore sanity in the motor industry.
Enforcement of the new directive will see the government collect over Ksh.12 billion given motorists and motorcyclists will have to pay Sh3,000 each for the smart number plate. Official data shows Kenya had 3.9 million registered vehicles at the end of 2020.
“Any person who contravenes any of the provisions in the traffic rules, which no specific penalty is provided, is liable for a fine not exceeding Sh20,000 or imprisonment for six months or both,” states the Traffic Act.
The new number plate comes with a radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip embedded on the sticker to facilitate wireless transfer of information between it and mobile police readers or at traffic lights. The plates are also linked to the vehicle chassis number making it easier to trace stolen vehicles.