Senior Counsel Donald Kipkorir has sparked an online debate after claiming that an NTSA traffic fine was paid into a KCB account bearing the name of an individual instead of a government institution.
In a post shared on his X account, Kipkorir said his younger brother received a text message purportedly from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) informing him that he had been fined for speeding.
According to the lawyer, his brother paid the amount using the payment details provided in the message, only to discover that the KCB account was registered under the name Catherine Jerono Tomno.
“My kid-bro received a text message purportedly from NTSA for overspeeding. As a dutiful citizen, he paid the fine to the account given by NTSA. The account is in the name of CATHERINE JERONO TOMNO. The law doesn’t allow Government institutions to open bank accounts in the names of individuals. Is NTSA exempt?” Kipkorir posted.
The post quickly gained traction on social media, with many Kenyans questioning why a payment linked to a government fine would reflect an individual’s name. Others called on NTSA to clarify whether the account belongs to an authorised collections agent, a designated officer or whether there had been an error in the payment process.
By Monday evening, NTSA had not publicly responded to the claims.
Under Kenya’s public finance laws, government revenue is ordinarily paid into official government accounts, although some agencies use authorised collection platforms and partner banks to receive payments before the funds are remitted to the Exchequer.
It remains unclear why the account name displayed in the transaction was that of an individual. Until NTSA issues an official statement, the circumstances surrounding the payment cannot be independently verified.
The claims have nevertheless triggered widespread debate online, with many Kenyans demanding answers from the transport regulator over how fines collected from motorists are processed.