The National Transport and Safety Authority has stated that motorists cannot reserve future ordinary registration numbers before a new series is activated. Applicants may instead wait until just before a series such as KEG or KES begins and then apply for a special plate. The clarification followed a viral social media query about combinations including KES 100M.
The National Transport and Safety Authority responded to an online question asking whether plates such as KEG 500L and KES 100M could be reserved ahead of their official release.
NTSA wrote on its X platform that direct reservation is not possible. The authority added that interested motorists should monitor the rollout of new series and apply for preferred combinations through the special plate process once the series nears activation.
Vehicle registration numbers are issued in sequential and alphabetical order. Combinations like KES 100M therefore become available only when the KES series starts.
A customised number plate in Kenya costs about Ksh1,000,000 to apply for. Some vehicle owners seek these registrations for reasons of prestige, personal identity or business references.