Driving schools association threatened to sue over the eCitizen portal
By Tobby Otum
Kenya Driving Schools Association [KDSA] national vice chairman John Oseimo Maraga has issued a 7 day notice to the government over the introduction of payment of driving licenses through the e citizen portal.
He said they may either be forced to hold a countrywide demonstration if the government fails to address the complaints lodged by members or seek redress through the court.
“We are left with the two options to enable the association move forward on behalf of its members,” he pointed out.
Maraga said the government move has affected over 1,500 schools which are members of the association following the failure by the system to function.
He was addressing a media briefing at the famous Tusks along Moi Avenue in Mombasa county.
The KDSA national vice chairman said the applicants for provisional driving licences have lost confidence with the government system as they wait for their driving licenses.
Maraga, who doubles up as KDSA Coast region chairman and who was flanked by the region’s association vice chairman Alex Mutunga, told the media for the past three months their members have experienced challenges with the new payment system.
He argued the confusion is caused by lack of access to the government system by the National Transport and Safety Association [NTSA].
“The problem is with the NTSA not being able to access the e-system and we urge the government to give NTSA the rights to handle the provisional driving licence documents for our members,” he pointed out.
The KDSA national vice chairman insisted the outcry has been there for the past three months countrywide despite meeting relevant government agencies whose officers assured them that their problems will be addressed.
Maraga, who was also flanked by Coast region association secretary Sadik Khamisi, told the media their members are being forced to make double payment through the system.
He added the first payments through the system for the provisional driving licence does not go through, but the second payment goes through saying he suspects something is wrong somewhere with the system “between e citizen portal and NTSA.”
On his part Mutunga told the media they are losing members through the hardships the members are going through as they have to pay twice for their provisional driving licences.
He appealed to the government to show concern over their complaints on the issue of the system
“The driving schools are left to suffer through the failure of the system where applicants are forced to pay twice,” he said.
The association’s Coast region secretary appealed to the government to give the NTSA the mandate to access the system.
Sadik argued they are denied mandate to access payment despite their payment through the system.
He said their request to the government is to make the system open as they are using it for payment.
“The move will enable them to address the challenges faced by driving license applicants using the system,” he said.
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