The High Court has stepped in to block the controversial vehicle inspection directive, bringing temporary relief to millions of private car owners.
Justice Francis Kyambia issued conservatory orders suspending the National Transport and Safety Authority’s (NTSA) mandate that required private, non-commercial vehicles to undergo compulsory annual inspections. The judge froze the enforcement of the Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules for private cars after a petitioner challenged the legality of the new directive in court.
In directions delivered from the High Court in Kiambu, Justice Kyambia made it clear that the suspension will shield motorists for the foreseeable future.
The court ordered that the suspension remain firmly in force until July 22, 2026, the date set for the inter partes hearing where both sides will formally argue the case. Until then, private car owners are officially exempt from the mandatory annual checks.
The court’s freeze strikes a massive blow to the regulatory framework, sidelining key inspection requirements that originally mandated annual tests for public service vehicles, commercial trucks, driving school fleets, and government cars.
The suspension also halts the strict procedures and timelines meant for vehicles that fail their initial tests, including the mandatory defect re-inspection processes. Furthermore, the order strips traffic authorities of their enforcement teeth by blocking all penalties and preventing police from impounding vehicles that lack valid inspection certificates.
With the freeze now in place, the legal battle moves into its next phase. The court gave the petitioner seven days to formally serve the lawsuit, the notice of motion, and the court order to all respondents. In turn, the NTSA and the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport have 14 days from that service date to file their formal responses and legal submissions.
This legal showdown follows intense public backlash over the regulations that have driven motorists and activists to file a total of four separate petitions to challenge the new rules in court.
