Custom Number Plates In Kenia

Did you know there are only seven Kenyan cars with customised number plates? Outrageous. Calling Kenya, get in touch with us today.

What’s in a custom number plate for your car? Well, everything actually. It’s a personalised plate that is seen as a statement of individuality.

With more than 10,000 cars pouring onto the Kenyan roads during peak seasons, only a few car owners are choosing to opt for custom number plates. The numerous luxury cars on the streets have given rise to extra must-have status symbol: a respected licence-plate number.

The mark of decoration and distinction comes with either having a name emblazoned on the metal plate at a price of 1,000,000 Kenyan Shillings or getting one that matches with your lucky triple numbers, which costs 30,000 Kenyan Shillings

The uptake of the Million Shilling custom plates is still low with only seven Kenyans driving cars with their names or initials. In the limited club of seven is billionaire stockholder Christoper Kirubi who owns three cars with custom number plates, and the other four cars are owned by Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko, lawyer Donald Kipkorir, international football stars MacDonald Mariga and his brother Victor Wanyama.

Kenyans who revere lucky numbers and want them on their cars are much costlier. Getting the distinctive numbers was a nightmare though, with no standards to issue them against despite the growing demand.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in September introduced the 30,000 charge to crack down on the triple licence plates fever and the fee has not subdued demand however.

The NTSA manager in charge of registering, said car owners looking for triple numbers are prepared to wait until a fresh series begins, which of course depends on the rate at which new car registrations are happening.

Some car holders wait for up to two months, dependent on the volumes of imports, but some people shy away from the exposure that comes with driving a car with a personal number plate adorning it.

Mr Kipkorir stated he is not afraid of the exposure the custom number plates give him, adding that “it is a good income stream for the government. Privatised number plates don’t create any security concerns at all. It is a basic issue of personal branding. It is also a vanity trip which life is all about.”