"Very small": NTSA boss opens up on amount of billions it makes from Kenyans
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The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) told lawmakers it generates between KSh 9 billion and KSh 10 billion in own-source revenue each year but is only permitted to keep a fraction of that amount, leaving it unable to fulfil its statutory mandate on road safety.
NTSA Director General Nahashon Kodhiwa made the disclosure on Tuesday, 11 August, while appearing before the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure at the authority's Nairobi headquarters.
Kodhiwa told the committee that the current legal framework compels the authority to remit nearly all the revenue it earns through vehicle inspections, licensing, and regulatory fees to the National Treasury, leaving NTSA chronically underfunded.
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"Hon. Members, NTSA needs to be well facilitated to handle the sector. We generate between 9 and 10 billion annually of own-source revenue; however, we access a very small percentage of this money, making it difficult for us to do what is required by law," Kodhiwa said.
The Director General said the authority is seeking to retain KSh 3 billion of its own-source revenue annually to finance road safety programmes. He outlined specific uses for those funds, including expanding digital number plate rollout, strengthening compliance checks, enhancing the Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS), and scaling up road safety campaigns across the country.
"The KSh 3 billion we are seeking to retain will go directly into interventions that save lives. This includes strengthening compliance checks, rolling out digital number plates, enhancing the TIMS system, and expanding road safety campaigns," Kodhiwa added.
Digital number plates, fitted with microchip technology, are intended to help track rogue drivers, enforce speed limits automatically, and disrupt syndicates that clone vehicle identities for criminal use.
Committee Backs NTSA's Request
Committee Chairman and Ndia MP George Kariuki expressed support for the proposal, arguing that the Treasury model was leaving the authority without the tools it needed to address Kenya's persistent road fatality problem.
"I don't see a reason why all your resources should be moved to the Treasury and leave you struggling; as a Committee, we support your request because it will save lives," Kariuki stated.
Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama and Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda urged NTSA to deepen cooperation with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) to identify road sections requiring urgent intervention.
The committee, however, pushed back on a separate NTSA proposal to impose blanket speed limits on highways, cautioning that such restrictions could worsen traffic congestion. On the boda boda and matatu sectors, members called for reforms that balance safety improvements with the preservation of livelihoods in those industries.
Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang advocated for intergovernmental coordination involving county governors, while Jomvu MP Twalib Bady encouraged NTSA to work with constituency representatives through the Constituency Development Fund to train and educate youth in the transport sector.
The committee concluded the session with an inspection visit to the NTSA motor vehicle inspection unit on Likoni Road in Nairobi's Industrial Area.
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.