The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has opposed plans to introduce mandatory vehicle inspections for privately owned vehicles.
This comes a day after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) suspended enforcement of the programme, with inspections still set to continue, though compliance for private motorists will not be immediately compulsory.
In a statement, the association argued that the proposal lacks evidence and will impose unnecessary regulatory burdens on motorists.
According to MAK, any expansion of the inspection regime should be backed by credible data demonstrating that private vehicles pose a significant road safety risk requiring periodic inspections.
“Road safety policy must be driven by credible data, not by administrative convenience or revenue collection. To date, no publicly available statistical evidence has demonstrated that privately owned vehicles constitute a category requiring mandatory periodic inspections,” the association noted.
MAK argued that while millions of private vehicle journeys are made across the country daily, the majority are completed safely, with most road crashes linked to driver behaviour, poor road design, weak enforcement, inadequate infrastructure and commercial transport operations rather than hidden mechanical defects in private vehicles.
MAK also raised concerns over the proposed increase in inspection fees for commercial vehicles, saying safety measures should not be used to justify higher costs without corresponding improvements in the quality, efficiency and integrity of the inspection process.
The association added that the current vehicle inspection system has faced longstanding criticism over inconsistency, subjectivity, delays and corruption, eroding public confidence in the process.
It urged regulators to address governance challenges, strengthen accountability, eliminate opportunities for corruption and modernise inspection procedures before extending mandatory inspections to private vehicles.
The association further questioned current speed enforcement practices on Kenyan highways, saying motorists often encounter abrupt speed-limit changes on roads designed to accommodate high-speed traffic.
It called for speed management policies to be guided by engineering principles, road design and internationally accepted traffic management standards to ensure consistency and predictability for drivers.
“Modern expressways across many jurisdictions are designed to separate high-speed traffic from pedestrians through grade-separated crossings, under and above controlled access. Such infrastructure allows for consistent speed management because conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians are removed.”
The association called on the government, Parliament, the judiciary, road engineers and transport experts to ensure road safety policies are anchored on evidence, transparency, constitutional rights and sound engineering principles.
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