This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
On July 17, 2020, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) unveiled a new system aimed at curbing car theft syndicates in Kenya.
The move comes after a series of high-profile incidents involving cloned number plates, including one used in the 2019 dusitD2 terror attack.
NTSA has been under scrutiny for its handling of such incidents, with some officials suspected of being involved in the duplicating ring.
However, the new system, known as the Transport Integrated Management System, is expected to improve vehicle verification and reduce motor vehicle theft.
The system will compel motor vehicle insurance details to be fed real-time to NTSA after a pact was signed with the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA).
It will also enable insurance companies to prove and cross-check vehicle ownership, and only one vehicle insurance policy will be matched with a vehicle and linked to digital stickers.
“The data exchange will play a critical role in supporting enforcement activities to reduce motor vehicle theft and enable easy tracking of unregistered motor vehicles on the road,” NTSA Director-General George Njao stated.
The system has been incorporated with over 14 insurance companies and is expected to aid in preventing loss of revenue and averting insecurity.
