Cabinet approves second-generation smart driving licences to revolutionise road safety

The government has approved the rollout of second-generation smart driving licences through a public–private partnership, aimed at modernising Kenya’s transport licensing system and enhancing road safety.

The licences will feature digital integration with instant fines, mobile licence wallets, and a driver merit and demerit points system.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto noted that the programme will now harness private sector efficiency to accelerate delivery and ensure motorists have more reliable access.

“Through innovative financing, Cabinet approved the rollout of Second-Generation Smart Driving Licences under a public–private partnership, integrating smart licences with an instant fines system, mobile licence wallet and driver merit and demerit points to enhance road safety and modernise licensing,” reads the dispatch.

Years of delays

The move comes after years of delays in issuing chip-embedded driving licences, which have repeatedly struggled to meet targets despite contracts signed with the National Bank of Kenya (NBK). Recently, the Auditor General flagged large stocks of unprinted and undelivered cards, highlighting management challenges at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

The smart licences, designed to replace traditional paper-based documents, will carry drivers’ personal information, traffic offence records, fines, and digital signatures. The chip-based cards are intended to strengthen security, improve data management, and modernise enforcement and renewals.

NTSA officials say motorists are increasingly choosing yearly electronic licences over the three-year smart cards, slowing uptake. According to a report submitted to the National Treasury, only 2.1 million of the targeted five million smart driving licences have been issued since the programme began in 2017.

The initiative was launched under a $21.09 million contract with NBK, which was responsible for supplying and maintaining the cards. Access Bank Plc has since taken over the bank, and more than four million blank cards were delivered under the agreement.

Slow uptake

“The uptake of smart driving licences has been slow. The project is under consideration for transitioning to PPP,” the Transport department said in its budget submission.

In the financial year ending June 2025, NTSA printed 342,492 licences, falling short of the 400,000 target by 57,508 cards. The previous year saw 369,155 licences issued, exceeding a lower target of 350,000, largely due to intensified enrolment campaigns.

“The target [was] not achieved due to preference for a yearly electronic driving licence as opposed to the three-year smart driving licence,” NTSA said.

Government officials believe that handing over management of the programme to private investors could improve efficiency, accelerate delivery, and reduce operational challenges, helping to complete the long-delayed modernisation initiative.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of the National Integrated Security Command and Control System. The platform will modernise public safety infrastructure, linking security agencies for real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated national responses.

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Initial deployment will focus on major urban centres and transport corridors, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, and key border counties.