Ndegwa Njiru Announces Plan to Sue NTSA Over Instant Traffic Fine Payment System
Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru has announced plans to sue the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) over alleged fraud concerns surrounding the authority’s instant traffic fine payment system.
In a public statement issued on Thursday, July 2, Njiru called on motorists who may have concerns about payments made through the instant fine system to come forward and submit evidence that could support legal action against the transport authority.
The lawyer, who has represented former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in several legal battles, including the court case challenging his impeachment, said affected motorists should preserve all documents related to their payments.
According to Njiru, motorists who paid overspeeding fines through the eCitizen platform and suspect irregularities in the process should retain payment confirmations, transaction receipts, bank statements, screenshots and any communication related to the transactions.
“Members of the public who may have made payments relating to NTSA overspeeding fines through eCitizen and have concerns about the payment process are invited to come forward,” Njiru said.
He urged anyone who believes their money may have been processed incorrectly or channelled to accounts that were not official government accounts to preserve evidence for review.
“If you have evidence of a payment that you believe to have been processed incorrectly or to an account that was not an official government account, kindly preserve all relevant records, including payment confirmations, transaction receipts, bank statements, screenshots and any related communication,” he stated.
According to the advocate, the information collected from members of the public will be analysed to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to file a petition before the High Court.
“The information received will be reviewed to determine whether there is a sufficient basis for appropriate legal action, including, where warranted, proceedings before the High Court to seek recovery of any funds that may have been wrongly paid,” Njiru added.
The move comes only days after Gachagua vowed to mobilise Kenyans to oppose several new NTSA directives, including the mandatory vehicle inspection programme that the authority began enforcing from July 1.
The controversy surrounding the instant traffic fines system has intensified in recent days, with some motorists alleging that they were instructed to make payments to accounts bearing individual names rather than directly to an official NTSA account.
The allegations quickly sparked concerns on social media, with some motorists questioning the legitimacy of the payment process and demanding greater transparency from the authority.
However, NTSA has dismissed claims of fraud and insisted that the payment process remains secure and lawful.
According to the authority, the individual names appearing during transactions belong to registered banking agents who facilitate payments for motorists who may not have immediate access to cash deposit services.
Speaking during an interview on June 30, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa defended the system and assured motorists that all payments are verifiable.
Kondiwa explained that receipts generated after payment clearly indicate the official government account where the money is deposited, providing a transparent audit trail for every transaction.
The NTSA boss also addressed questions regarding why the instant fines are not processed through the eCitizen platform like most other government payments.
According to him, the authority deliberately adopted a different payment mechanism to minimise the risk of fraud and payment errors.
He explained that eCitizen transactions primarily rely on mobile money payment systems, which could potentially increase the likelihood of motorists mistakenly sending funds to fraudulent accounts.
NTSA maintains that the current arrangement offers greater accountability and enables authorities to verify transactions more efficiently.
The debate over the instant traffic fines system comes as Kenya continues implementing broader road safety reforms aimed at reducing accidents caused by speeding and reckless driving.
The instant fines programme was introduced to improve enforcement efficiency and promote compliance with traffic regulations without requiring lengthy court processes for minor offences.
However, the concerns raised by motorists and legal experts suggest that public confidence in the payment system remains a critical issue that authorities may need to address through increased public awareness and transparency.
Should Njiru proceed with legal action, the case could test the legality and accountability of the payment process and potentially shape the future implementation of instant traffic fines in Kenya.
For now, motorists who believe they may have made payments incorrectly have been urged to preserve their transaction records as the lawyer prepares to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to support court proceedings against the transport regulator.