Kenya wants tighter matatu safety checks, but can passengers verify compliance?

Passengers could eventually have a simpler way to check matatu safety compliance if Kenya connects its digital vehicle records to proposed changes in transport regulation. The National Transport and Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a formal system for licensing and overseeing conformity assessors who verify whether public service vehicle (PSV) bodies meet prescribed technical standards. The proposal has also brought attention to whether passengers should be able to check a vehicle’s assessment status before boarding.

The passenger-verification proposal was raised by petitioner Juma Patrick Kurwa in a submission to the Senate committee on roads, chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute. Kurwa called for a system through which travellers could enter or scan a vehicle’s registration number to check its conformity assessment and other regulatory approvals. He suggested that the service could be delivered through a mobile application, website, USSD or SMS, giving passengers several ways to access the information.

How the proposed law would regulate PSV body assessments

The Bill seeks to give NTSA responsibility for setting conformity-assessment criteria and designating assessors every three years. The assessors would examine whether technical standards had been applied in the design, manufacture and installation of PSV bodies, while the Authority would conduct periodic audits to monitor compliance. Assessors would also submit technical reports to NTSA after completing their work, creating formal records of the assessments.

The proposed framework also addresses potential conflicts of interest. Under the Bill, assessors would be required to operate independently of businesses involved in designing, manufacturing, supplying, installing, purchasing, owning or maintaining the vehicle components they inspect. NTSA would have to ensure that assessors meet the independence requirements before issuing licences, which would remain valid for three years.

The Bill’s memorandum of objects identifies the absence of a specific legal framework for PSV conformity assessment as a problem. It also raises concerns about arrangements involving the Kenya Association of Bus Manufacturers, whose membership includes PSV owners. The proposed separation of assessment from commercial interests is intended to strengthen confidence in the process through which vehicle bodies are checked against technical standards.

How NTSA’s digital vehicle records could support verification

Kenya already has a digital vehicle-record foundation that provides relevant context for the proposal. NTSA’s electronic logbook system allows motorists to access vehicle ownership records online, while QR-enabled verification supports the authentication of digital documents. These services provide a possible starting point for considering how authorised vehicle compliance information could be made accessible to passengers.

A passenger-facing safety check could build on this type of infrastructure by linking a vehicle’s registration number to its conformity-assessment record. A lookup could show whether the vehicle has undergone the required assessment, alongside the relevant certificate status and other authorised regulatory information. Such a service would depend on reliable records and a clear distinction between different types of vehicle approval.

Kenya’s Access to Information Policy, 2026, also provides a relevant backdrop for discussions about public access to official records. However, the existence of a policy on access to government-held information does not automatically mean that every vehicle record would be available through a public lookup. The information that could be disclosed, the legal basis for access and the safeguards needed would have to be established.

What a passenger-facing safety check would need to cover

For passengers, the value of matatu safety verification would depend on whether the information is understandable and useful before a journey. A registration-number lookup could help establish whether the vehicle has the required body conformity assessment, while clearly identifying the scope of that assessment would prevent passengers from mistaking it for a complete roadworthiness clearance.

Body conformity addresses technical requirements relating to the vehicle’s structure and construction. The condition of brakes, tyres, lights, doors and other safety components can also affect whether a vehicle is safe to operate. A conformity certificate therefore needs to be understood within the limits of what the assessment covers, particularly where a vehicle’s condition may change after inspection.

Kurwa’s submission also calls for an accessible complaints mechanism through which passengers could report suspected structural defects, unsafe doors and exits, defective safety equipment, overcrowding and vehicles suspected of being improperly certified. Linking such a mechanism to reliable vehicle records could help regulators identify complaints against specific vehicles and assess whether further action is necessary.

USSD and SMS would be particularly relevant for passengers who do not have smartphones or reliable mobile data access. A web-based service could provide more detailed assessment information, while a simpler mobile lookup could return a vehicle’s registration details and relevant compliance status. Each channel would need to draw on consistent records to avoid giving passengers conflicting information.

Why assessor independence and reliable records matter

The proposed law addresses the integrity of the assessment process, while the passenger-verification idea focuses on access to its results. Both elements affect whether the system can provide useful information to the public. Independent assessors would be responsible for evaluating compliance, and their technical reports would provide NTSA with a formal record of the work performed.

Digital access could make those records more useful outside the regulatory process, allowing passengers to check a vehicle’s status without relying solely on information supplied by an operator. For NTSA, the same records could support oversight of assessors and help establish whether vehicles have completed the required assessments.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was published as Senate Bills No. 12 of 2026 and referred to the relevant parliamentary process. Its proposed framework places conformity assessors under a more formal system of licensing, independence requirements and regulatory oversight.

The debate over passenger verification adds a practical public-service question to the legislative process: whether vehicle compliance information can be made accessible in a form travellers can use before boarding. Any such service would require more than a registration-number search. It would need accurate and updated assessment records, clearly defined information-access rules and an explanation of what a compliance result does, and does not, establish about a matatu’s safety.

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