The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is now facing scrutiny over a massive stockpile of unclaimed driving licences worth over Sh176 million, with no clear effort underway to remedy the growing backlog.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, in her latest audit for the financial year ending June 2024, disclosed that 572,674 driving licence cards remain untouched in NTSA’s stores.
The abandoned cards, according to her, reflect a deepening issue of non-collection that continues to cost the Authority millions.
In her report, Gathungu pointed out that NTSA had returned approximately 1.75 million cards to the supplier in an attempt to scale down un-invoiced deliveries.
Still, despite the return, a large volume remains in its custody, raising serious questions over efficiency and management.
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These licences form part of a broader contract between NTSA and the National Bank of Kenya, which was tasked with producing over five million smart driving licences.
The arrangement, inked in March 2017, was valued at Sh2 billion.
Yet as of 30th June 2024, only 33 per cent of the total ordered cards had been printed—a figure that Gathungu described as alarming.
“The uptake for the cards is still low, and management did not demonstrate efforts to improve the situation. In the circumstances, the confirmation,” Gathungu noted.
The audit further affirmed its adherence to professional norms and ethical standards.
“The audit was conducted per ISSAI 3000 and ISSAI 4000. The standards require that I comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain assurance about whether the activities, financial transactions and information,” Gathungu explained.
This year’s report echoes similar concerns raised by the Auditor General in 2023. Back then, Gathungu faulted the Authority for failing to hand over more than 20,000 number plates, 17,474 logbooks, and 5,753 smart licences to motorists.
Some of the items, she revealed, had been lying in NTSA’s storage facilities for over five years, with certain licences already expired by the time they were reviewed.
Despite the repeated red flags, NTSA has yet to issue a formal response to the findings. Pressure continues to mount on its leadership, with sections of the motoring public calling for the resignation of Director General George Njao.
The growing backlog, coupled with the Authority’s silence, has deepened public frustration.
For applicants who completed the process years ago but are still waiting for their documents, the problem is more than just numbers on a balance sheet—it is a systemic failure that affects lives, livelihoods, and the credibility of public service.
Until the Authority takes decisive action, thousands of licences will remain gathering dust—symbols of bureaucratic stagnation in a digital age.
