Government ministries and agencies have been given until August 29, 2025, to switch all official vehicles to second-generation number plates or risk having them grounded.
The directive, issued through a circular on May 21 by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, calls for an immediate and mandatory rollout of the high-security plates across the entire government fleet.
Failure to comply, Koskei warned, will lead to swift consequences: non-compliant vehicles will be impounded as part of a coordinated national crackdown spearheaded by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Government Vehicle Check Unit (GVCU).
Since the order was issued, NTSA has seen a sharp rise in plate applications. A senior official confirmed that systems have been scaled up to cope with the surge.
“We’ve reinforced our processing capacity to ensure we can meet the increased demand without delays,” the official said.
The upgraded plates first introduced in 2023 come embedded with sophisticated digital tracking technology and other tamper-proof features that align with global standards for vehicle identification. The move is part of a broader national agenda to tighten controls around public transport assets, deter vehicle-related crimes, and boost accountability.
According to Koskei, the reform is especially timely, coming amid a troubling spike in abduction cases across the country, some of which have involved vehicles with forged or suspicious license plates.
The countdown is on, and public institutions are now under pressure to act fast or face the consequences when the August deadline arrives.
