The Kiambu High Court has suspended the National Transport and Safety Authority’s (NTSA) mandatory annual inspection requirement for privately owned, non-commercial vehicles, temporarily blocking the enforcement of the new roadworthiness rules.
Justice Francis Nyungu Kyambia issued the conservatory orders on Tuesday, July 1, following a petition challenging the legality of the regulations introduced under the Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026.
The court order suspends the enforcement of several key provisions, including Rule 3(1), Rule 12(2), Rule 16(4), Rule 30(1)(d), and the First Schedule, but only in relation to private non-commercial vehicles. The ruling effectively halts mandatory annual inspections, penalties for non-compliance, and the associated inspection fee structure for private car owners.
Also frozen is NTSA’s June 26 public notice that had directed private vehicle owners to begin annual inspections, a move that had sparked public debate over cost and implementation readiness.
The suspended rules had introduced sweeping changes, including annual inspection requirements for various vehicle categories, structured re-inspection procedures for failed vehicles, penalties and impoundment for those without valid certificates, and mandatory installation of telematics systems. The First Schedule, which outlined tiered inspection fees, has also been put on hold for private motorists.
At the same time, NTSA had already announced that full enforcement of the roadworthiness policy would be rolled out by June 2027. The authority says the delay is intended to allow expansion of inspection capacity through the creation of 70 inspection centers in partnership with the private sector, up from the current 17 government-run facilities.
The court directed that the suspension applies strictly to private, non-commercial vehicles, meaning commercial, public service, driving school, and government vehicles may still be subject to inspection requirements.
The petitioner has been given seven days to serve court documents to all respondents, while NTSA and the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, have 14 days from the date of service to respond.
The case will be heard inter partes on July 22, 2026, where both sides are expected to present full arguments on the contested regulations.