The National Transport and Safety Authority, popularly known as NTSA, has published several official notices across its social media platforms, not only explaining how the new instant fines system works but also reminding Kenyans about the authority’s legitimate communication channels. If you’ve been wondering what’s true, what’s false, and how to avoid being scammed, here’s what NTSA wants every motorist to know.
One of the biggest talking points has been NTSA’s decision to require motorists to pay instant fines through Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) rather than through eCitizen.
At first, that sounds unusual. After all, Kenyans have become accustomed to paying for government services digitally through eCitizen, whether renewing a driving licence, applying for documents or accessing countless other public services. So naturally, many people assumed instant traffic fines would work exactly the same way. But according to NTSA, they don’t.
So, why does NTSA want instant fines made through KCB?
This is perhaps the question most motorists are asking. NTSA says the decision wasn’t made because eCitizen is insecure. In fact, the authority explicitly states that eCitizen remains a secure government platform. Instead, the concern is fraud.
According to NTSA’s Director General Nashon Kondiwa, fraudsters have increasingly been sending fake payment messages to unsuspecting motorists, directing them to fraudulent accounts. By requiring payments to be made physically at KCB branches or authorised KCB agents, NTSA says it introduces an additional verification step that makes these scams much harder to execute.
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Below is a video of NTSA’s DG speaking to Citizen TV regarding why the authority is using KCB payments instead of eCitizen for instant fines:
Hawana hata adabu ama haya wakiibia Wakenya
Huyu jamaaa mlisema ako na degree ghani? π₯ΊJuu hii reasoning ata si ya daycare owner
Whether motorists consider that approach convenient is another discussion altogether, but this is the reasoning the authority has officially provided.
Can you pay an NTSA instant fine through eCitizen?
The simple answer is no.
NTSA says eCitizen remains the government’s official payment gateway for many public services and is still one of the authority’s most important service platforms. However, instant fines are deliberately excluded from eCitizen. If you receive an instant fine, logging into your eCitizen account won’t help because the payment option simply isn’t available there.
Instead, motorists are required to make payments physically through designated KCB channels.
How do you know an NTSA fine notification is genuine?
Another area of confusion has been SMS notifications. As fake messages become increasingly convincing, many motorists have struggled to tell genuine notices from scams. NTSA says every legitimate instant fine notification includes:
- the traffic offence committed
- the penalty issued
- official payment instructions
More importantly, the authority says motorists should first verify the sender before making any payment. Official notifications are only sent through the sender ID: 22847_NTSA.
If you receive payment instructions from an unfamiliar number, unknown sender name, or unofficial communication channel, NTSA advises verifying the information before sending any money. Considering how sophisticated mobile scams have become in Kenya, that’s advice worth following.
Here’s an example of the fake SMS that Kenyans are already receiving claiming to be from NTSA for instant fines:
Every official NTSA communication channel
To further reduce confusion, NTSA has also published a comprehensive list of its official support channels. Rather than directing every enquiry to one email address, the authority has assigned dedicated contacts depending on the issue.
Motor vehicle inspection
For inspection services and related enquiries: inspectionqueries@ntsa.go.ke
Vehicle registration
Send your email to mvenquiries@ntsa.go.ke for matters relating to:
- vehicle registration
- transfer of ownership
- number plate applications
- vehicle record updates
- duty updates
Driving licences
For Smart Driving Licence enquiries, PSV badges, licence records, RSL or TSL support and related licensing matters, send your concerns to dlqueries@ntsa.go.ke,
Driving schools and learner drivers
Send your email to dsmqueries@ntsa.go.ke for:
- driving school licensing
- PDL applications
- driver test bookings
- driver test status
- licence class endorsements
Complaints and official correspondence
NTSA has separate email addresses for different types of communication:
General correspondence: info@ntsa.go.ke
Integrity and corruption reports: integrity@ntsa.go.ke
Complaints: complaints@ntsa.go.ke
NTSA Contact Centre
Customer support is available through 0709 932 300 or 0709 932 000. NTSA also says official service SMS notifications come from NTSA or 22847_NTSA. If a message requesting payment comes from a different sender, motorists should treat it with caution until its authenticity has been confirmed.
As for the official social media accounts, Facebook is @NTSAKENYA while X (formerly Twitter) is @ntsa_kenya. The official website for verified announcements and service information is at www.ntsa.go.ke.
The debate surrounding Kenya’s new instant fines isn’t really about KCB or eCitizen. It’s more about trust. When motorists receive a message demanding payment, they need to know it’s genuine. When payment instructions differ from what they’re used to, they naturally want to know why.
And when conflicting information spreads across social media, they need one authoritative source that clearly explains what’s actually happening. That’s exactly what NTSA’s latest clarification attempts to do.
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