The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has warned motorists who are using unauthorised license plates that stringent action will be taken against them.  

NTSA warned that no one is allowed to sell reflective registration number plates or third registration plate licenses minus the Authority’s written consent.

“The Authority's attention is drawn to the widespread violation of Rule 5(a) of the Traffic (Registration Plates) Rules 2016 as evidenced by the large number of vehicles using registration plates not issued by the Authority,” NTSA said in the statement issued on Monday.

The Traffic Act 2016 specifies that a vehicle's registration shall be rectangular, have each letter and number on the plate consisting of clear and recognisable characters.

The Act sets the characters at 75mm high and each part of the letter or number be at least 15mm broad and 47.5mm wide and numbers 44.5mm wide except for letter ‘I’ and number ‘1’.

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The authority has also warned motorcycle operators using printed papers as registration plates instead of the authorised registration plates that they will also face the wrath of the law.

“Through this Notice, motor vehicle and motorcycle owners are advised with immediate effect to cease the use of these unauthorised registration plates, failure to which will result in prosecution,” NTSA warned.

According to the Traffic Act 2016; “a person who contravenes any of the provision of these rules, for which no specific penalty is provided in the Act, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or, to both fine and imprisonment.”

This comes amid concerns over an increasing number of vehicle owners using unusual or unauthorised number plates on Kenyan roads, which also poses a national security threat.

During the January 15, 2019 terror attack at Dusit D2 hotel in Nairobi, a car used to ferry terror suspects the hotel bore duplicate number plates with another impounded in Kitengela.