Petitioners seek to halt NTSA e-sticker rollout over motorists'data protection concerns
Petitioners want the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to halt the rollout, arguing the electronic inspection sticker unlawfully exposes.
An NTSA electronic vehicle inspection sticker displayed on a vehicle windscreen. Petitioners say the new system exposes motorists' personal data and should be suspended. (Photo: File)
A fresh legal challenge has been mounted against the National Transport and Safety Authority's newly introduced electronic vehicle inspection sticker, with public interest litigants seeking to halt its rollout over claims that it unlawfully exposes motorists' personal information.
Peter Agoro and John Wagai filed a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) under the Data Protection Act, challenging the implementation of the Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026, which came into effect on July 1.
The petitioners argue that the new inspection sticker compels motorists to publicly display extensive personal and vehicle information on their windscreens, data they say was previously accessible only through NTSA's secure systems.
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According to the complaint, the sticker displays details including the registered owner's name, vehicle registration number, engine and chassis numbers, vehicle identification number (VIN), vehicle model, colour, fuel type and inspection expiry date.
"The e-Sticker scheme reverses this entirely by mandating the permanent, compelled and continuous public broadcast of all this data on every inspected vehicle's windscreen," the petitioners state in court documents.
They argue that making such information publicly accessible significantly heightens the risk of identity theft, vehicle cloning, fraudulent ownership transfers, logbook loan fraud and targeted vehicle theft.
The complainants further contend that the risks have been compounded by NTSA's recently introduced eLogbook platform, which is linked to financial institutions and enables motorists to use their vehicles as collateral for loans.
"The simultaneous operation of the E-Sticker data-broadcast scheme and the eLogbook financial integration creates a specific, serious and nationwide systemic vulnerability," the complaint states.
Agoro and Wagai accuse NTSA of implementing the e-sticker system without conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment, publishing a privacy notice or putting in place the safeguards required under the Data Protection Act.
They also argue that NTSA has no lawful basis for compelling motorists to publicly display personal information, saying the move violates constitutional rights to privacy, human dignity, property and fair administrative action.
As an alternative, the petitioners propose redesigning the inspection sticker to display only a unique certificate number and a QR code that enforcement officers can verify through the NTSA mobile application.
"A sticker displaying only a unique certificate number and a QR code verifiable through the NTSA mobile application would fully achieve the intended regulatory purpose without exposing motorists' personal data," they argue.
The litigants are asking the Data Protection Commissioner to immediately suspend the issuance of the current e-sticker, direct NTSA to redesign it to comply with the Constitution and the Data Protection Act, and declare the existing sticker unconstitutional and unlawful. They are also seeking compensation for motorists who may suffer losses resulting from the alleged privacy violations.
The complaint relies on a 2025 High Court decision requiring privacy-related disputes to first be determined by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner before they can be escalated to court.
The ODPC is now expected to determine whether NTSA's electronic inspection sticker complies with Kenya's data protection laws and constitutional privacy protections.