NAIROBI, Kenya — The High Court has ordered the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to continue recognising existing physical motor vehicle logbooks pending the hearing and determination of a petition challenging the implementation of the electronic motor vehicle registration certificate, commonly known as the e-Logbook.
Justice Patricia Mande issued a conservatory order restraining NTSA and other respondents from permanently discontinuing or invalidating physical certificates of registration currently held by members of the public.
“Pending the hearing and determination of the Petition, a conservatory order hereby issues restraining the respondents from permanently discontinuing or invalidating existing physical Certificates of Registration (Logbooks) held by members of the public,” the judge ruled.
The case was filed by Javan Onyango and Emmanuel Kiplagat against NTSA, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, the Attorney General and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
The petitioners had asked the court to suspend the implementation and operationalisation of the e-Logbook programme pending determination of their case.
They argued that the system had been introduced without adequate public participation and raised concerns about privacy, cybersecurity, digital exclusion and the legality of charges associated with electronic vehicle registration.
The petitioners also questioned whether NTSA had conducted sufficient data protection impact assessments, cybersecurity audits, vulnerability assessments and disaster recovery preparations before rolling out the system.
They further argued that the centralised platform involves large-scale processing of vehicle owners’ personal information, requiring compliance with constitutional privacy protections under Article 31 and the Data Protection Act.
NTSA Defends Electronic System
NTSA opposed the application, arguing that the e-Logbook does not establish a new legal regime but represents an administrative modernisation of a motor vehicle registration system that has already been digitised.
The authority told the court that the statutory electronic register has existed since 2014 through the Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS) and derives its legal foundation from the Traffic Act.
NTSA also maintained that it had taken steps to inform the public about the transition through notices and updates, including a May 7, 2026 notice, countdown notices, verification guidance and frequently asked questions.
According to the authority, information about the system had been disseminated through its website, social media platforms, Huduma Centres and virtual sensitisation sessions.
NTSA further maintained that physical logbooks remained valid and that vehicle owners had not been given a mandatory deadline to convert them into electronic certificates.
Court Declines to Suspend e-Logbook
In her analysis, Justice Mande noted NTSA’s position that the e-Logbook is extracted from an electronic motor vehicle register whose statutory basis dates back to 2014.
“The impugned document, that is the e-Log Book, is extracted from the electronic register of motor vehicles, which has its statutory foundation in the Traffic Act and has been in existence since 2014,” the judge said.
The judge observed that the petitioners had not challenged NTSA’s assertion regarding the existence of the electronic register, a factor she said weakened the urgency of their application.
However, she found it appropriate to preserve the status of existing physical logbooks while the substantive petition is considered.
“This state of affairs has the effect of diminishing the urgency of the matter and, in my estimation, an order that retains the validity of the existing physical log books will safeguard the interests of the applicants,” Justice Mande ruled.
The court therefore allowed the application only to the extent necessary to preserve the validity of physical logbooks.
