The automated speed enforcement programme NTSA quietly piloted in 2025 went live on Nairobi's main arterials in March 2026. If you commute on Thika Superhighway, you've probably already triggered a camera; if you haven't, you will. Here's the grown-up guide to dealing with it.
Where the cameras are
As of late March 2026, NTSA has 28 fixed sites live: 11 on Thika Road between Muthaiga and Ruiru, 9 on Mombasa Road between Bunyala and Mlolongo, 5 on Waiyaki Way and 3 on Outer Ring. All are signed about 400 m in advance, and the speed limit is the posted limit — not 10% over, as the old traffic-stop convention informally tolerated.
- Takeaway: Treat the posted number as the real number. The old 10% tolerance does not exist for cameras.
- The cameras read number plates in both directions at each site.
- Unlike a traffic stop, a camera fine is logged before you know it happened.
The fine is issued to the registered owner. If you lent your car, you are on the hook.
What the fine looks like
The fine arrives as a TIMS notification and an SMS to the registered owner's phone within 24 hours. Amount depends on the overage: KSh 3,000 for 10–19 km/h over, KSh 10,000 for 20–29, KSh 20,000 for 30+. Your licence remains valid but the fine blocks log-book transfers and registration renewal until cleared.
Critically, the fine is issued to the registered owner. If you lent your car, you are on the hook unless you file a Driver Identification Request in TIMS within 48 hours naming the driver.
How to appeal (if you have grounds)
You have 48 hours from SMS receipt to dispute. Valid grounds are narrow: number-plate misread, sold-but-not-transferred (with a dated transfer form), emergency response, or camera calibration error. File through TIMS → Infringements → Dispute, attach evidence, and expect a response within 14 days.
The honest advice: most appeals fail. Cameras are calibrated quarterly and the photograph is admissible. Better to treat them as a tax on inattention than a system to beat.
