Key Takeaways
A High Court froze the automated system on conservatory orders. While they stand, no new camera fines should be issued, with the case back in court on 21 June 2026.- When it runs, fines go from Ksh 500 to Ksh 10,000, with a 7-day window to pay by M-Pesa, KCB or eCitizen.
- Speeding is tiered: a warning up to 5 km/h over, then Ksh 500, Ksh 3,000, and Ksh 10,000. Over 20 km/h goes to court.
- For a boda or matatu, the fine hits the registered owner's number, not the person who was driving.
- Manual police enforcement and your existing licence carry on as normal in the meantime.
Your phone buzzes. It's an SMS from NTSA, and it says you owe Ksh 3,000 for a road you drove this morning. No officer waved you down, no court date, just a fine and a seven-day clock.
That was the plan when the NTSA instant fines launched on 1 June 2026. Days later, a court froze the whole automated system.
So here's what the fines actually are, what they cost, who really pays, and where the fight stands now.
01. What the New NTSA Fines Actually Are.
The NTSA instant fines are a system that lets you settle minor traffic offences without going to court. It went live on 1 June 2026 under Sections 117 and 117A of the Traffic Act and the Traffic (Minor Offences) Rules of 2016. You get caught, you get a notice, and you pay within seven days or dispute it.
You can be caught two ways. A police officer can flag you on the road, or a traffic camera can read your number plate automatically. The notice then reaches you by SMS, email, an officer in person, or a sticker placed on your vehicle.
This isn't the first attempt. NTSA suspended an earlier version in March 2026 after lawsuits and public anger, then brought it back in June after talks with the police, the ODPP and the Judiciary. Then the courts stepped in again.
A High Court froze the automated rollout on conservatory orders dated 29 May, with the case due back in court on 21 June. So the framework exists, but it's been contested from day one, and the automated part may be on pause when you read this.
Right now, that means the camera fines are on hold. Police can still stop you the old way, your existing licence still works, and demerit points carry on. The rest of this piece is what the system does when it's running, and what to watch for on 21 June.
02. The Full Fine Schedule.
Here's what the common offences cost, grouped by amount so you can find yours fast.
Fine | Offences |
|---|---|
Ksh 10,000 | No or badly fixed number plates; no valid inspection certificate; causing an obstruction; employing an unlicensed PSV driver; no speed governor; speeding 16 to 20 km/h over the limit. |
Ksh 5,000 | Driving on pavements or walkways; failing to stop when directed by police. |
Ksh 3,000 | Ignoring road signs or police directions; touting; driving without the right licence endorsement; speeding 11 to 15 km/h over. |
Ksh 2,000 | A PSV driver not wearing the prescribed badge and uniform. |
Ksh 1,000 | Not renewing your licence; not producing it when asked; carrying more than one pillion passenger on a motorcycle; rider or passenger without protective gear; each seat without a fitted seatbelt. |
Ksh 500 | Not wearing a seatbelt while the vehicle is moving; speeding 6 to 10 km/h over. |
The full list of amounts sits in the Traffic (Minor Offences) Rules. The ones above are the offences most young drivers and riders will actually meet.
03. Speeding: The Tiers, and the 20 KM/H Cliff.
Speeding is the one most people get wrong, so read this twice. The fine climbs with how far over you are:
1 to 5 km/h over: a warning, no money.
6 to 10 km/h over: Ksh 500.
11 to 15 km/h over: Ksh 3,000.
16 to 20 km/h over: Ksh 10,000.
Then comes the cliff. Go more than 20 km/h over the limit and it stops being a minor offence. It becomes reckless driving, and that's a real court case, not an instant fine. Remember the limits that catch people out: 50 km/h in towns, and as low as 30 km/h in school zones.
04. The Trap for Boda and Matatu: The Owner Pays.
Here's the part nobody warned you about. For a PSV or a motorcycle-for-hire, the fine goes to the registered owner, not to whoever was actually driving. The camera reads the plate, and the plate belongs to the owner.
Think about what that means on a real boda stage. A rider rents a bike for the day, speeds once, and rides on. The SMS lands on the owner, who wasn't even there. A sacco owns the matatu, but the tout triggered the fine. So who eats the Ksh 10,000?
If you own a bike or a matatu, this is your problem to manage now. Keep your NTSA contact details current so the notice reaches you, and agree clearly, ideally in writing, who pays a fine when a vehicle is lent or rented out. We'll dig into the owner-versus-rider question in a follow-up piece.
05. How to Pay, and How to Dispute.
If the fine is fair, paying is the simple path. You have seven days, and you can pay by M-Pesa, at a KCB branch, by USSD, or through eCitizen. Miss the seven days and interest starts to build, and you get locked out of NTSA services until you clear it.
If the fine is wrong, you don't have to swallow it. You can take it to traffic court, and you have the right to ask for the evidence first: the photo or video that supposedly caught you. To dispute, you post bail equal to the fine through non-cash channels, and the court can reduce or refund it.
Save these steps before you ever need them. A calm reader who knows the process is far harder to overcharge than a panicked one. A fuller how-to on disputing a fine is coming next.
06. The Quiet Win: Cash Bribes Are Now Illegal.
Here's the part that actually helps you. Under the new rules, cash bail and roadside cash settlements are barred. Payment has to go through the official digital or bank channels named on your notice.
On paper, that shrinks the space for the old roadside ritual, the quiet toa kitu kidogo before you're waved on. If there's no cash to hand over, there's less to negotiate. Whether enforcement and trust catch up is the open question. But the rule itself is a small win for any driver tired of bribes.
07. Safety, or a Fine-Net?
The honest debate sits here. On one side, Kenya's roads are dangerous, and automated enforcement that doesn't rely on a human officer could cut both crashes and corruption. On the other, a system that fires fines at scale can start to feel less like safety and more like a revenue net. And it points at the people who can least afford it.
This isn't a fringe worry. The system was suspended once after lawsuits and public anger, then frozen again by a court days after its June relaunch, and even a Daily Nation editorial urged the authorities to keep it fair. Both things can be true at once: fewer crashes, and more fines on riders and crews.
Editor's Note
08. What to Do This Week.
Four moves while the system finds its feet:
Update your NTSA contact details, so a notice reaches you and not a stranger who bought your old car.
Know the limits on your usual route, and respect the 20 km/h cliff that turns a fine into a court case.
If you ride or own a boda or matatu, agree in writing who pays a fine on a lent or rented vehicle.
Save the dispute steps, how to request evidence and pay non-cash, before you need them.
The Bottom Line.
The NTSA instant fines are real, even if a court has them on pause. When the cameras switch back on, they'll land hardest on riders, crews and young drivers, so don't get caught off guard.
Know the schedule, know who actually pays, and know your right to dispute. Watch what happens on 21 June.
A safer road is worth wanting. A fair one is worth demanding.
