NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 2 – President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Transport to fast-track a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework for nationwide motor vehicle inspection, arguing that the private sector can modernise the system at no cost to taxpayers while generating revenue for the State.In a high-level road safety meeting under the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), the President questioned why the government should spend Sh12 billion to establish inspection centres when private investors are ready to step in.“Why are we looking for Sh12 billion to inspect vehicles using government money when the private sector can do it and give us revenue?” Ruto posed.Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir confirmed that new regulations on inspection of all motor vehicles had already been gazetted, paving the way for NTSA to begin licensing private operators.The framework is expected to begin implementation by July 1, with investors given time to set up inspection centres across counties.Under the proposed model, private actors licensed by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) will establish inspection facilities countrywide, eliminating the need for motorists to travel long distances to designated government centres.The President said devolving inspection through PPP would ensure roadworthiness of vehicles while raising additional revenue to fund broader road safety reforms.Ruto maintained that proper inspection of vehicles, combined with digital enforcement, could reduce road carnage by up to 70 per cent.Instant Fines EnrollmentAt the same time, the President issued a one-month ultimatum to the Ministry of Transport and NTSA to roll out the long-delayed instant fines programme and install surveillance cameras in at least five to six major towns.“So I think we just must call it what it is. I have always wondered why we have taken forever .Why don’t we enforce the instant fines program? Why haven’t we rolled out the cameras on our roads?”“It is my position, Waziri,(Transport CS Davis Chirchir) that within the shortest time possible, let us roll out the cameras. We’ve been discussing this forever. You know, when can we have the cameras on the roads,” President Ruto noted.The cameras will be integrated into an instant fines framework, enabling offenders to receive penalties directly on their phones without appearing in court.“When you have committed the offence, you will have a fine on your phone instantly,” Ruto said. “The cameras will provide foolproof evidence. We do not need to argue with offenders. We do not need to bother the Chief Justice in court.”He noted that the Minor Traffic Offences Regulations were adopted by Parliament in 2016, clearing the legal path for implementation.“So the story is finished. We have the law, we have the cameras, let’s just roll them out,” he said.The President backed proposals to amend the Traffic Act to formally introduce instant fines and a demerit point system for driving licences, shifting minor offences from the criminal justice system to administrative handling.“I agree with the report and with the Chief Justice that some of these traffic offences need to be moved to the realm of administrative interventions,” he said, arguing that lengthy court processes had encouraged bribery.“If the fine is Sh1,000 and you spend a whole day in court to pay it, it becomes easier to pay a bribe. We must make it much more painful to pay the bribe and much more easy to pay the legal fine.”He also proposed a progressive penalty regime where repeat offenders pay increasingly higher fines within the same year to deter habitual violations.Grim road safety tollThe renewed push follows alarming statistics showing Kenya records more than 4,000 road fatalities annually. Last year alone, 5,009 deaths were reported 261 more than in 2024, with accidents costing the economy an estimated Sh450 billion, equivalent to about five per cent of GDP.During the 2025 festive season alone, 415 deaths were recorded, a 23 per cent increase from the previous year.However, a pilot inter-agency traffic justice model conducted during the 2025–2026 festive season showed promise. The initiative brought together 36 prosecutors, 40 officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and 121 NTSA officers in a coordinated enforcement drive.Fatalities involving public service vehicles declined by 10 per cent during the period due to intensified oversight.Digital overhaul The report presented to the President recommends the establishment of an integrated e-transport and traffic case management system linking police, prosecutors, judiciary and prisons to enhance transparency and reduce corruption.Ruto said digitisation had proven effective in reducing theft and pilferage in other government sectors and would similarly clean up traffic enforcement.“The cameras will do the job of the traffic policeman and also the job of the judiciary instantly,” he said, adding that deployment of body-worn cameras for officers, strengthened integrity testing and enhanced anti-bribery mechanisms would complement the reforms.The report also calls for fast-tracking identification of accident black spots, especially along the Northern Corridor and the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway, expansion of pedestrian walkways and dual carriageways, and adoption of safety-by-design principles in new road projects.Additional measures include digital fatigue monitoring systems for commercial vehicles, mandatory defensive driving certification for PSV operators, and the establishment of more trauma centres and ambulance response points along major highways.“Road safety must move from pilot phase to full national transformation,” Ruto said, urging operationalisation of the National Road Safety Fund to provide sustainable financing for the reforms.