NTSA: No mobile money payments yet for instant traffic fines

Director General of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Nashon Kondiwa, has cautioned motorists that traffic fines issued under the newly rolled-out automated enforcement system cannot currently be paid through mobile money.

Kondiwa warned that anyone asking for such payments is likely a fraudster.

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Speaking on Fixing the Nation on NTV Kenya on Thursday morning, Kondiwa said the authority deliberately limited the initial payment channels to bank branches and agents to protect motorists from scams as the new system is introduced.

He explained that while the country is heavily reliant on mobile money platforms, the authority opted for a phased rollout to minimise the risk of fraud as motorists familiarise themselves with the new process.

“The approach we have taken is that when you are introducing a totally new product to a mass market, you really have to look at all the risks of miscommunication and the risk of misrepresentation,” Kondiwa said during the interview.

According to him, allowing mobile money payments immediately could expose motorists to scammers sending fake links or messages requesting payments.

“This country is a country of M-Pesa, so eventually that option will be there. But for now we are using bank branches and agents so that people can first understand how the system works before we open more channels,” he said.

Under the current arrangement, motorists who commit traffic offences detected by surveillance cameras receive a notification message indicating the offence and the fine payable.

However, Kondiwa emphasised that motorists should ignore any link asking them to pay through mobile money.

“For now any person who tells you to pay through mobile money should obviously be avoided because that is not how the system works at the moment,” he said.

Instead, fines must currently be paid through branches and agents of KCB Group while the authority continues public awareness campaigns on the new enforcement system.

Kondiwa said the phased approach is also informed by the relatively small number of motorists currently affected as the surveillance network is still being expanded.

“The number of people who will be fined when the cameras are just being rolled out, maybe when there are only 10 or 20 cameras, is not that high,” he explained.

He added that once the public becomes more familiar with the system and communication improves, additional payment options such as mobile money might be introduced.

Motorists who receive notifications are required to settle the fines within seven days, although Kondiwa noted that the payment does not necessarily have to be made by the vehicle owner personally.

“You have seven days to pay and you do not have to be the one paying it. Anyone can go to the bank or agent and make the payment on your behalf,” he said.

The new instant fines system is part of a wider government effort to use technology to enforce traffic laws and curb road indiscipline.

Under the programme, surveillance cameras are being installed along major roads and highways to detect offences such as speeding, driving on pavements, lane indiscipline and failure to wear seat belts.

Once a violation is captured, the system automatically identifies the vehicle using number plate recognition technology and sends a notification to the registered motorist with details of the offence and the penalty payable.

The initiative is part of a broader road safety crackdown that will see about 1,000 speed enforcement cameras deployed across the country under a technology-driven traffic management system aimed at reducing accidents and improving compliance with road rules.

Authorities say the automated system is expected to reduce corruption by limiting direct interaction between motorists and enforcement officers while ensuring traffic offences are detected and penalised more consistently.