The rollout of the second generation number plates slated for October 1 has been challenged in court.
Activist Okiya Omtatah wants the Nairobi High Court to suspend the rollout as announced by former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i.
Also sought is an order suspending the NTSA’s decision to use direct procurement method in acquiring the securitised number plates from Chalbi Industries or any other entity.
Kenyans will be required to replace their existing number plates with the new ones within 18 months at a cost of Sh3,000 per vehicle.
But Omtatah in his court documents argues the requirement to acquire the new number plate at a cost of Sh3,000 is unlawful.
He wants the court to intervene and quash the ongoing procurement of Chalbi Industries to supply the securitised license plates.
Also, order the state to utilise the idle but serviceable equipment and materials already procured, which are ready to be rolled out but are lying idle at the Kamiti prison.
According to the court documents, NTSAs director of Registration and Licensing S Wanjau wrote an internal memo to the NTSA director general requesting for approval to use direct procurement method in procuring the second generation number plates.
The memo written on September 6, this year stated that they had identified Chalbi.
“Due to lack of technological capacity of the current supplier (being Kamiti Main prison industry) to produce digital (second generation) motor vehicle number plates, there was a need to source for an alternative supplier who could meet the authority’s demand,” it said.
But Omtatah sees the said request for direct procurement to be fraudulent and wasteful.
He says Kamiti Main prison industry, the current supplier of number plates, has the technological capacity in both equipment and human resources to supply all the second generation or securitised number plates.
“There are fully serviceable equipment and raw materials lying idle at Kamiti Main, which the government acquired competitively at millions of shillings under a 2016-2017 tender,” he said.
Omtatah says the decision to abandon the already procured equipment and materials, which are lying idle at Kamiti prison and to procure Chalbi, “smacks of outright corruption and fraud.”
Judge Mugure Thande directed that the application be served for directions on October 11.
Those sued are the National Transport Safety Authority, CS Interior, PS Interior, State Department of Correctional Services, commissioner general, Kenya Prisons, National Treasury, Attorney General and Chalbi Industries.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
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