Motorists travelling during the festive season risk instant fines as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), in collaboration with the National Police Service and the Judiciary, deploys mobile courts along major highways to enforce traffic laws.
The intensified crackdown comes as holiday travel peaks, a period historically marked by a sharp rise in road accidents as thousands of Kenyans travel upcountry for Christmas and New Year festivities.
Under the joint operation, offenders are fined on the spot for a wide range of traffic violations, with authorities saying the goal is to curb risky behaviour and improve road safety during the busy season.
The enforcement drive coincides with the Cabinet’s December 16 approval of the rollout of second-generation smart driving licences. The new system introduces instant fines, a mobile licence wallet, and a merit-and-demerit points framework, signalling a major shift in how traffic offences are managed in Kenya.
NTSA said the operation focuses on reducing road crashes while sensitising motorists against preventable offences such as speeding and drink-driving.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol severely impairs judgment, slows reaction time and compromises vehicle control,” the authority said, noting that drink-driving enforcement will remain heightened throughout the festive period.
Under Section 117 of the Traffic Act, minor traffic offences attract instant fines as outlined in the First Schedule, which replaced traffic rules that had been in force since 1975.
Fines range from Sh500 to a maximum of Sh10,000, depending on the offence, and apply to all motorised vehicles, including motorcycles.
Offences attracting the maximum Sh10,000 fine include driving without identification number plates or with plates improperly fixed, operating a vehicle without a valid inspection certificate, and exceeding the speed limit by between 16 and 20 kilometres per hour.
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 install a prescribed speed governor in a PSV or commercial vehicle.
A Sh5,000 fine applies to driving on a footpath or pedestrian walkway, refusing to stop when directed by a uniformed police officer, or driving a PSV while unqualified.
Several offences attract a Sh3,000 penalty, including driving without the correct licence endorsement, disobeying lawful police instructions, ignoring traffic signs, and failing to place reflective triangles when a vehicle is stationary on the road.
Touting, failing to refund fare for incomplete journeys, allowing an unauthorised driver to operate a vehicle, using tinted windows on a PSV, and picking or dropping passengers at undesignated points also fall under this category.
Lower-tier offences attract fines of Sh1,000. These include boarding or alighting at undesignated places, travelling with part of the body outside a moving vehicle, failing to renew or produce a driving licence on demand, and motorcycle riders carrying more than one pillion passenger.
Motorcyclists and their passengers who fail to wear protective gear are each fined Sh1,000.
Using a mobile phone while driving carries a Sh2,000 fine, as does failure to carry reflective warning signs or, in the case of PSVs, failure by drivers or conductors to wear the prescribed uniform and badge.
Pedestrians are also subject to penalties. Wilfully obstructing vehicles attracts a Sh500 fine, the same amount charged for failing to wear a seat belt or for PSVs that do not maintain seat belts in a clean and usable condition.
As enforcement intensifies nationwide, authorities are urging all road users to comply with traffic rules, warning that violations during the festive rush will be met with swift penalties.
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