Kenya’s transport regulator has begun a significant shift in how motorists prove ownership of their vehicles, moving fully into a digital logbook system that replaces decades of paper-based records.
Today Wednesday, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) confirmed that normal services had resumed after the roll out of its electronic logbook platform, a change that took effect on 10 June. The transition briefly disrupted services as the agency migrated vehicle records onto the government’s e-Citizen infrastructure.
For new vehicle registrations and ownership transfers, paper certificates are now a thing of the past.
“Any inconvenience experienced during the transition is sincerely regretted,” NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa said in a statement, adding that the authority was working to ensure smoother access to services through its online platforms and service centers.
Paper Logbooks Replaced with Digital Access
Under the new system, motorists will no longer receive physical logbooks. Instead, ownership documents are stored and accessed digitally through personal accounts on the NTSA, TIMS platform and e-Citizen portal. Users can view, download and verify their records at any time.
Officials say the change is meant to speed up service delivery and reduce the delays that often came with manual processing. In the past, motorists sometimes waited days or weeks for documents to be issued or updated.
The authority also argues that the digital shift will strengthen security in a market long troubled by document fraud. Paper logbooks, NTSA noted, have been vulnerable to forgery and unauthorised alterations, occasionally leading to disputes over ownership, especially in the used-car trade.
With the new system, ownership changes are expected to reflect in real time, with verification possible through secure online checks and QR-based validation.
Still, the transition is not without pressure. Some motorists have raised concerns in past digitisation phases about access to online systems and occasional downtime, particularly for users less familiar with digital platforms. NTSA has urged those facing challenges to seek help through its social media channels, email support, or physical offices.
The agency had earlier warned of temporary interruptions during the migration process, describing it as a necessary step to stabilise the new system.
By Wednesday morning, it said the rollout had been completed and services were operating normally.
Part of Wider Digital Government Push
Kenya now joins a growing number of countries shifting vehicle registration systems online, part of a broader government push to centralize public services on digital platforms.
For motorists, the change marks a clear break with a paper-heavy past and a new reliance on screens, logins, and real-time records to prove who owns what on the road.
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