The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has recorded a sharp rise in the number of vehicles being registered in the country, as authorities step up enforcement on unregistered cars and motorcycles.
New data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that vehicle and motorcycle registrations increased by 47.9 per cent between 2021 and 2025, reaching 395,235 units.
The growth has mainly been attributed to stricter controls from NTSA, thus making many vehicle owners comply with the law and settle any arrears regarding registration.
Conversely, availability of financial means has enabled many Kenyans to acquire their own motor vehicles despite tough economic conditions prevailing.
The total number of vehicles registered in 2025 increased slightly compared to 140,703 registered in 2024 to 142,994 vehicles.
Growth is seen in some of the vehicle categories such as lorries, trucks, buses, minibuses, and trailers.
Not all vehicle categories experienced growth; saloon cars declined by 22.5 percent to 6,592 vehicles. This shows the possibility of preference shifting by consumers.
Motorcycle and three-wheeler category showed the highest growth, increasing by nearly double the number registered in 2024; the number of motorcycles and three wheelers went from 126,490 in 2024 to 252,241 in 2025.
More than 241,000 units of motorcycles were registered, which reflects an increased use of motorcycles for transport purposes and deliveries mainly in urban areas.
NTSA attributes the growth not only to the increased enforcement, but also to improved registration procedures.
The authority has been carrying out crackdowns to ensure all vehicles on the road are properly registered and meet safety requirements.
The report also shows that more Kenyans are getting driving licences, with the number issued rising by 15.5 per cent to about 1.95 million in 2025.
