NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 12 — The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has rejected plans to charge vehicle owners for converting physical logbooks into electronic logbooks, describing the move as “unjustified and unreasonable” and accusing government agencies of imposing backdoor taxation on motorists.
The association argued that motorists have already paid for logbooks during vehicle registration and should not be required to incur additional costs to facilitate the government’s digitisation agenda.
The protest comes days after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) announced the rollout of its electronic logbook (eLogbook) system as part of efforts to improve the security, traceability and management of vehicle ownership records.
In a statement on Friday, MAK accused government agencies of forcing vehicle owners to pay twice for services that were already covered by statutory registration fees.
“This charge is unjustified, unreasonable and amounts to yet another form of backdoor taxation and institutionalised extortion of Kenyan motorists,” the association said.
MAK noted fees paid during vehicle registration already cover the issuance of logbooks and vehicle identification plates, making any charge for converting existing records into digital format a case of double payment.
The association maintained that taxpayers should not bear the cost of implementing a government policy initiative.
“When a vehicle is registered, motorists pay all prescribed registration fees. Those fees include the issuance of a logbook and vehicle identification plates. The transition from physical logbooks to electronic logbooks is a government policy and digitisation project. It is not a service requested by motorists,” the association stated.
MAK further warned that the proposed fee reflects a growing trend of duplicate charges imposed on motorists, citing fees for digital driving licences and replacement vehicle identification plates despite previous payments for similar services.
“What began as isolated fees has evolved into a systematic culture of extracting more money from citizens for services already covered by taxes and statutory charges,” it said.
‘Cash cow’
The association noted that motorists already contribute substantial revenue through fuel levies, road maintenance levies, excise duties, value-added tax, annual licence fees and insurance-related charges, yet continue to face deteriorating road infrastructure and rising administrative costs.
The criticism follows NTSA’s migration to the eLogbook platform on June 10, which introduces QR-code-enabled vehicle ownership records that can be verified instantly by vehicle owners, prospective buyers, financial institutions and other stakeholders.
According to NTSA, the new system is intended to enhance security, improve efficiency and curb fraud involving vehicle ownership documents.
The authority says e-logbooks will be automatically generated for services such as vehicle registration, ownership transfers, asset financing registration and discharge, re-registration, de-registration and duplicate logbook applications.
However, MAK insists that digitisation should not be used as a basis for imposing new charges on motorists.
The association has called on NTSA and other government agencies to withdraw any proposed e-logbook conversion fees and urged Parliament, the Controller of Budget, the Auditor-General and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to investigate the legality of recurring charges imposed on vehicle owners.
“Motorists are not cash cows for government agencies,” the association said.
“We pay taxes [and] pay levies. We pay registration fees [and] pay licence fees. We should not be forced to pay again and again for services that have already been paid for.”
