The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has refunded Ksh66,050 to a motorist after intervention by the Office of the Ombudsman brought an end to a months-long dispute over a payment made in error.
According to the Commission on Administrative Justice, commonly known as the Office of the Ombudsman, the motorist paid the money to NTSA on August 19, 2025, but the payment was made for the wrong type of number plates.
The motorist had intended to pay for reflective parastatal number plates for the Kenya Sugar Research and Training Institute (KESRETI). However, the payment was instead processed for security number plates.
This led to the motorist being stuck waiting for his refund for many months without any actions from NTSA.
After realizing that he will not receive the refund, the motorist turned to Ombudsman, who started an investigation and contacted NTSA regarding the delayed refund.
The Commission claimed that NTSA did not reply to their inquiries, which made them send several reminders asking for an explanation and clarification of the situation.
Later, the problem was taken up to another level after the Ombudsman sent a Notice to Show Cause to NTSA Director General and Chief Executive Officer Nashon Kondiwa on April 17.
Still, the refund was not immediately processed.
The Commission eventually issued summons to NTSA on July 7, prompting the Authority to formally respond and investigate the complaint.
The investigation established that an error had occurred while processing the number plate payment.
NTSA then processed the refund and submitted proof of payment to the Ombudsman.
The motorist later confirmed that he had received the full Ksh66,050, bringing the complaint to an end.
“Following the Commission’s intervention, NTSA investigated the complaint and acknowledged the error in the payment,” the Ombudsman said.
The Commission added that NTSA subsequently processed the refund and provided proof of payment, while the complainant confirmed receipt of the money.
The case highlights the role of the Ombudsman in handling complaints involving delays or administrative failures by public institutions.
