By Erestine Jane, July 1, 2026
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has defended its decision to require motorists to physically verify and pay automated traffic fines through Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), saying the move is designed to protect the public from increasingly sophisticated SMS phishing scams.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, NTSA Director General Eng. Nashon Kondiwa said the authority intentionally avoided introducing direct digital payment options for the new automated traffic fines system because cybercriminals have become more adept at impersonating government agencies through fake text messages and cloned payment portals.
Under the new system, motorists who receive automated notifications for speeding or other traffic violations will be required to visit a KCB branch or an authorised KCB banking agent, where the fine will first be verified before any payment is accepted.
According to Kondiwa, the verification process introduces an additional layer of security by ensuring that every fine is authenticated against NTSA’s records before motorists part with their money.
He explained that allowing motorists to immediately click on payment links contained in SMS notifications or make instant mobile money payments would expose them to fraudsters who routinely send fake messages designed to resemble official government communications.
“The verification process is intentional. We want motorists to have an opportunity to confirm that the ticket is genuine before making any payment,” Kondiwa said.
He noted that fraudsters often exploit motorists’ anxiety after receiving traffic violation messages by encouraging immediate payment through fake websites or fraudulent mobile payment accounts.
By requiring motorists to physically visit a bank, NTSA says the risk of impulsive payments to scammers is significantly reduced.
The authority described bank officials as an additional verification point, with tellers expected to confirm ticket reference numbers against NTSA’s database before processing any payment.
Officials say this manual verification acts as a “third eye” in detecting fraudulent payment requests that may have originated from cybercriminals.
