LSK Moves to Court to Challenge Mandatory Inspection of Vehicles Older Than Four Years.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has filed a constitutional petition seeking to stop the implementation of new regulations requiring all public and private motor vehicles older than four years to undergo mandatory annual inspections.
In Petition No. E417 of 2026, filed before the High Court’s Constitutional and Human Rights Division, the LSK is suing the Attorney General, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, arguing that the new rules are unconstitutional and unlawful.
Through its advocate Kariuki Karanja, the Law Society contends that the respondents failed to conduct public participation before enacting the Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026, despite the regulations having far-reaching social and economic consequences for Kenyans.
The petition argues that implementation of the rules could expose motorists to arbitrary arrests, punitive fines and even deprivation of liberty for alleged violations of provisions introduced without public involvement.
LSK further claims that there is no adequate institutional or capacity framework in place to implement the rules, making them unlawful and necessitating the court’s intervention to suspend their enforcement pending the determination of the petition.
According to the application, the society is seeking conservatory orders suspending the commencement and implementation of the Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026, which are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026, until the case is heard and determined.
The petition is Petition No. E417 of 2026: Law Society of Kenya v Attorney General, National Transport and Safety Authority and Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, with Advocate Kariuki Karanja appearing for the Law Society of Kenya.
