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MPs and the NTSA are fast-tracking a digital instant fine system to curb road carnage and eliminate bribery, as accident statistics for January 2026 hit alarming levels.

The days of handing a folded KSh 50 note to a traffic police officer at a roadblock could soon be over. Following a surge in fatal road crashes that has claimed nearly 300 lives in January 2026 alone, MPs and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) are pushing for the immediate rollout of a digital instant fine system. The goal is clear: remove the human element from traffic enforcement and cut off the oxygen of corruption that fuels road carnage.
The push comes as the NTSA suspends licences for several Saccos, including Guardian Coach and Greenline, following a series of horrific accidents. But suspensions are a reactive measure. The real game-changer, according to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, is technology. The proposed system would see traffic cameras and automated devices issue fines directly to the offender’s phone, payable via M-Pesa, eliminating the roadside "negotiations" that allow unroadworthy vehicles to remain on the tarmac.
"We cannot police our way out of this crisis with the current manual system," said a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport. "Every time an officer stops a bus, there is an opportunity for a bribe. With digital fines, the camera does not eat lunch. It just records the offence."
The system, which has been in the pipeline for years, is now being fast-tracked. Fines collected from traffic offences jumped 64% to KSh 434 million in 2024, proving that enforcement is happening, but the carnage continues. The missing link is consistency and integrity.
The digital fine system is not just about revenue; it is about changing the Kenyan driving culture. If drivers know that Big Brother is watching and that a bribe cannot save them, behavior will shift. Currently, impunity rules the road because the cost of breaking the law is merely the cost of a bribe.
As the death toll rises, the patience of the public is wearing thin. The digital fines system offers a glimmer of hope for safer roads, but only if the technology works and the "men in blue" are ready to let go of their most lucrative revenue stream.
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