Car dealers in Mombasa have protested recent changes to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) system and the enforcement of regulations governing Dealer Registration (KD) number plates.
According to Independent Car Dealers Association, the measures have disrupted operations and hurt businesses across the sector.
The association is now calling for a consultative meeting with the NTSA to resolve the standoff over the issuance of KD number plates and recent changes to the authority’s system.
In a bid to curb the rampant misuse of KD number plates, NTSA in April moved to enforce Section 24 of the Traffic Act, which governs the use of a dealer’s general licence. The move has drawn criticism from dealers, who say it has created operational challenges and disrupted their businesses.
Section 24 of the Act sets strict rules on the use of KD plates, including prohibiting the carrying of passengers or goods for profit.
The law also outlines the permissible use of the number plates, including during inspections, tests, examinations and exportation to East African countries, as well as when moving vehicles from a dealer’s premises to those of a purchaser, another dealer or a manufacturer.
The dealers staged a peaceful protest in Mombasa City, where they complained that the implementation of Section 24 of the Traffic Act and changes to the NTSA system have adversely affected their businesses, which contribute billions of shillings in tax revenue and employ hundreds of youths.
The Association Chairman Mathew Katili, said they are concerned about how the government intends to achieve its projected revenue in the Ksh 4.8 trillion 2026/2027 budget when certain policies and enforcement measures appear to be undermining business growth and investment.
Katili said the association is calling for more inclusive regulations for motor vehicle dealerships. He explained that dealers rely on KD plates as a critical logistical tool for moving vehicles from the Port of Mombasa, Container Freight Stations (CFS) and storage yards to showrooms or directly to customers.
“The requirement that vehicles be fully registered before leaving CFS facilities has significantly slowed down delivery timelines and increased operational costs to the detriment of business,” he stated.
He affirmed that they support the use of a customs entry number to generate movement registers, but maintained that it should not be tied to a particular importer, since individual importers are not licensed dealers and therefore cannot access the NTSA portal to generate movement permits.
“Making the matching of customs entry number and dealer’s details a mandatory condition creates unnecessary procedural rigidity, which further delays vehicle release and delivery, especially in cases involving imported vehicles that have already been duly registered in customers’ names,” he added.
On his part, Jacob Mutinda lamented that despite being licensed by NTSA as a car dealer and having paid all the requisite fees, the authority abruptly changed its system in April by requiring a customs import entry when applying for a driver’s movement registry.
“The system says the import entry is for an importer. When you have brought your car and have been allocated a number, you can’t use the KD plate for transportation to Nairobi or anywhere because you don’t have a dealer’s licence,” he decried.
Issac Omollo said they are being apprehended by traffic police officers despite having paid for KD number plates, and called for the restoration of the previous system.
The Association Vice Chairperson, Joseph Kamiti, said the NTSA move has hurt their businesses, affecting both their families’ well-being and their clients.
