The High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the tendering process for the supply of Kenya's second-generation number plates.

Introduced on August 30, 2022, the plates, designed to meet global standards under the Vienna Traffic Convention, were officially launched on October 1, 2024, by then Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi, ruling on the petition filed by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, upheld the use of direct procurement for the tender, stating that the process was lawful as long as legal conditions were met and conducted in good faith.

“The burden of proving lack of good faith is on the person that alleges. Bare allegations that the process was undertaken purely to avoid competition without any iota of proof do not suffice to make a finding of bad faith,” ruled Justice Mugambi.

"In the instant case, the Petitioner merely makes an allegation without substantiation."

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Omtatah had claimed that the tender was secretly awarded to Chalbi Industries Limited, alleging that the government bypassed open tendering to avoid competition.

He further argued that the decision was wasteful and violated legislative requirements, citing the availability of serviceable equipment and materials procured in 2013 for number plate production at Kamiti Main Prison Industry.

According to Omtatah, a tender had been awarded in April 2014 to Tropical Technology Limited for modernising number plate production.

He claimed that blank plates worth millions of shillings had already been delivered to Kamiti Prison in anticipation of launching the new generation plates.

However, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) defended the direct procurement, stating that the old plates were inadequate and prone to duplication by fraudsters.

The agency also noted that the old plates failed to comply with international standards under the Vienna Convention.

With the court’s decision, the government's adoption of the second-generation number plates continues as part of efforts to enhance road safety and combat fraud.