NTSA Announces Mandatory Refresher Courses for All Motorists Starting July

Nairobi — The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) will begin rolling out mandatory refresher courses for motorists from July 2026 as part of a renewed effort to curb Kenya’s persistent road safety crisis.

NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa announced the initiative during an interview on Citizen TV on Monday night, saying the authority intends to introduce continuous driver education for motorists who spend significant time on Kenyan roads.

According to Kondiwa, the programme is based on the principle that driving skills and road safety knowledge should be updated regularly, just as professionals in other fields undergo continuous training throughout their careers.

“From July, we want to train drivers afresh. In every profession, there’s what we call professional development. People go for refresher courses, so we want to implement this for drivers who are continuously on the road. People should not go to driving school once and assume they will remember everything forever,” he said.

The planned training will target motorists who spend extended periods behind the wheel, including private drivers, public service vehicle operators and commercial truck drivers. The courses are expected to cover traffic regulations, defensive driving techniques, vehicle maintenance, road safety awareness and emerging challenges arising from new technologies and changing road conditions.

While NTSA has yet to release comprehensive implementation guidelines, the authority is expected to integrate the programme into existing licensing and compliance frameworks. Details on course duration, frequency, costs and enforcement mechanisms are expected before the July rollout.

Kenya’s Road Safety Challenge

The announcement comes against the backdrop of continued concern over rising road fatalities across the country.

Road crashes remain one of Kenya’s leading causes of preventable deaths, with pedestrians, motorcyclists and passengers accounting for a significant share of casualties. Speeding, reckless driving, fatigue, distracted driving and alcohol-related offences continue to feature prominently among the causes of accidents.

Road safety experts have long argued that driver behaviour remains one of the weakest links in Kenya’s transport system, with many motorists receiving little or no formal retraining after obtaining their driving licences.

NTSA believes periodic refresher courses could help reinforce safe driving habits, improve compliance with traffic laws and complement other interventions such as stricter enforcement, improved road infrastructure and technology-driven monitoring systems.

The proposal also revives discussions around periodic competency assessments, medical examinations and eyesight tests for motorists in high-risk categories, particularly long-distance and public transport drivers.

Mixed Reactions

The proposal has generated mixed reactions among motorists and road safety stakeholders.

Supporters view the initiative as a long-overdue intervention that could help foster a culture of responsible driving and reduce the number of fatal crashes on Kenyan roads.

Others, however, have raised concerns about implementation, questioning whether the programme could become an additional financial burden for motorists. Questions have also emerged over the availability of training facilities, enforcement mechanisms and whether the initiative will produce measurable safety improvements.

Some observers have cautioned that without proper oversight, the programme could risk becoming a bureaucratic requirement rather than a meaningful tool for changing driver behaviour.

NTSA is expected to publish detailed regulations and operational guidelines in the coming weeks ahead of the July launch.

If effectively implemented, the refresher training programme could mark one of the most significant changes to Kenya’s driver licensing framework in years. The initiative reflects a growing recognition that road safety requires continuous learning and adaptation rather than a one-time qualification.

Whether the programme ultimately succeeds in reducing road deaths will depend on accessibility, enforcement and its ability to bring about lasting behavioural change among motorists.

For now, drivers across the country are awaiting further details on what may soon become a mandatory part of staying on Kenya’s roads.