Matiangi urges suspension of mandatory annual vehicle inspection charges

The Jubilee Party deputy party leader and former internal security Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has called on the government to suspend the planned rollout of mandatory annual vehicle inspections for private vehicles older than four years, arguing that the policy will impose an unfair financial burden on millions of motorists.

In a statement issued on Sunday Matiang’i said while road safety is a legitimate national objective, the proposed inspection regime should be evidence-based, proportionate and sensitive to the economic challenges facing Kenyans.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced that, effective July 1, private vehicles older than four years will be required to undergo annual inspections at a cost of Sh2,000 per vehicle.

NTSA has however said the plan on private vehicles has been suspended.

Motorcycles will also be subjected to mandatory inspections under the new framework.

Matiang’i said the additional charges come at a time when Kenyans are already grappling with high fuel prices, rising insurance premiums, licensing fees, expensive spare parts and an increased cost of living.
“Introducing another compulsory annual payment without demonstrating its necessity places yet another financial burden on households and businesses that are already under immense pressure,” he said.
He urged the government to suspend implementation of the directive and subject the policy to a comprehensive public review before it takes effect.

He also challenged the government to disclose the number of vehicles expected to be affected, the projected annual revenue from the inspections and the evidence linking mandatory annual inspections for vehicles older than four years to improved road safety.

He urther questioned what proportion of road crashes in Kenya is caused by mechanical defects compared with factors such as human error, poor road engineering and traffic congestion, and whether NTSA has sufficient inspection capacity to serve motorists efficiently without creating delays or opportunities for corruption.

Matiang’i argued that road safety should not be reduced to the collection of inspection fees, saying the government should instead focus on tackling reckless driving, speeding, drunk driving, poor road design, inadequate road maintenance and stronger enforcement of existing traffic laws.

He also called on Parliament to scrutinise the policy and require NTSA to table all supporting evidence, including the policy analysis, cost-benefit assessment and implementation plan, before implementation proceeds.

The Jubilee Party said it stands with motorists, transport operators, small businesses and ordinary families, maintaining that Kenya’s economic recovery should be driven by job creation, improved public services and the fight against corruption rather than the introduction of additional charges.