NAIROBI, Kenya- The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has defended its decision to require motorists issued with instant traffic fines to make payments through Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) branches and agents instead of directly via the eCitizen platform, saying the move is intended to shield Kenyans from fraud.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s The Explainer, NTSA Director General Eng. Nashon Kondiwa said the authority deliberately introduced a physical verification step after identifying potential vulnerabilities associated with digital payment systems.
According to Kondiwa, fraudsters have increasingly targeted motorists through fake text messages and fraudulent payment requests, prompting the authority to adopt a more secure payment process.
“When it is M-Pesa, confusing someone is very easy, so we’re using a second layer before people pay,” Kondiwa said.
He explained that while most government services on eCitizen allow users to pay through M-Pesa or bank cards without physical interaction, NTSA opted for a different approach to minimise the risk of motorists sending money to fraudsters.
“For eCitizen, the payment is mostly through M-Pesa and credit cards. There’s no cash payment, and there’s no physical interaction. We’re adding physical interaction because even before we launched this system, we had received many SMS scams claiming to facilitate fine payments. Out of an abundance of caution and to protect Kenyans, we added another layer of physical interaction,” he said.
Under the new system, motorists who receive an instant traffic fine are issued with an official notification containing a payment link and reference number. They are then required to complete the transaction at a KCB branch or authorised KCB agent.
Kondiwa said the notification contains details including the vehicle registration number, the location where the offence occurred, the specific traffic violation, and is sent through NTSA’s official shortcode.
“When you receive the message, which is a notification, you open the link and get the details of how you can pay. Right now we have two options, a KCB branch or a KCB agent,” he said.
He noted that motorists can verify the payment reference against records in the bank’s system before making any payment, providing an additional safeguard against scams.
“When you get to the bank, you’ll have the reference number, and you’ll find that same reference reflected in the bank’s system, so that you’re not paying money into an account without another level of verification,” he explained.
Kondiwa said NTSA extensively assessed the customer journey before introducing the instant fines programme to identify possible fraud risks and design appropriate safeguards.
“In fact, NTSA has been using eCitizen more than many other institutions. For us to use this route, it means that when introducing this product to the market, we understood where the loopholes were,” he said.
The NTSA boss also defended the use of speed cameras, arguing that road signs remain the primary legal means of communicating traffic regulations to motorists.
“The moment you see a speed limit sign, as a driver, what you are trained to do is obey that road sign,” he said, adding that signs warning motorists about speed cameras are only supplementary.
On concerns over safety in the public transport sector, Kondiwa acknowledged persistent challenges affecting matatus and ride-hailing services, saying the authority was pursuing broader reforms to improve operations.
He disclosed that NTSA has designed a credit guarantee scheme to help public transport operators acquire safer vehicles, subject to strict service standards and operational requirements.
The authority has maintained that the new instant traffic fines system is intended to improve enforcement of traffic laws while incorporating safeguards to protect motorists from fraud as Kenya continues to digitise public services.