Number plate shortage: 7,000 vehicles trapped at Mombasa Port
The Kenya Car Importers Association has held the government responsible for this major disruption.
Kenya's vehicle import sector is facing a significant setback as the government has failed to settle outstanding payments with number plate suppliers, leaving more than 7,000 vehicles stranded at the Mombasa Port and various container freight stations (CFSs).
The Kenya Car Importers Association has held the government responsible for this major disruption, emphasizing the negative impact on the industry due to the non-payment.
Peter Otieno, the association's chairman, is now urging the government to clear the mounting debts, which have been accumulating since February 2025.
''The government has not paid the suppliers, so they cannot print the logbooks and the number plates in Ruaraka. You cannot remove the vehicle from the CFS without these documents. Even if you remove them, presenting the NTSA printout and selling the vehicle, the customer will keep on being ill-treated at checkout points," Otieno said.
The shortage of vehicle number plates has now stretched into its third month, halting sales and causing an accumulation of unsold units.
As a result, customers are being forced to use temporary KD plates, costing them Ksh1,000 per day.
"I sold a car back in January, but the customer still hasn't received their number plate," a car dealer shared with Citizen TV.
"New vehicle registrations are becoming increasingly rare. The absence of number plates and the difficulty of allocation—made worse by frequent system downtimes—make it nearly impossible to process a vehicle in an entire day," another dealer lamented.
The importers' association has expressed frustration, stating that the ongoing shortage of number plates has resulted in significant losses, compelling them to sell vehicles at lower prices.
"Take next month, for instance. Vehicles registered in March will not fetch the same prices as those registered in April or May. Accepting that you're incurring losses has become inevitable," Otieno explained.
This marks the second time in the past nine months that the industry has faced a shortage of number plates, following a similar situation in June of the previous year.
In August, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) dismissed claims of a number plate shortage, attributing the delays to issues within the dealers' own operations.
The NTSA stated that dealers should collect their plates from the centers they selected during the application process.
"There is no shortage. Dealers are presently picking up their plates from the designated centers," the authority confirmed.