Government vehicles in Kenya are easily identifiable on the roads, not just by their designs or speeds, but also by their unique number plates, which differ from those of civilian vehicles. These plates, beginning with prefixes like GKA, GKB, and GKC, indicate their official status and are essential for distinguishing them from privately owned vehicles.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) explains that the letters following the GK on these plates denote specific registration series used within government operations.
GKA plates are assigned to government vehicles used for official purposes, such as ministerial cars, vehicles for high-ranking officials, and other state functions.
GKB plates are reserved for vehicles used by the Kenya Police, including patrol cars, presidential escorts, and other police vehicles.
GKC plates are designated for vehicles belonging to other government agencies or departments, including utility trucks and service vehicles used by various ministries and parastatals.
The NTSA further clarifies that the allocation of these series is on a first-come, first-served basis and is not tied to any particular state department. Additionally, new designations like GKD might appear on government vehicles in the future.
Kenya also has other types of number plates:
Civilian Vehicle Plates: Common vehicles driven by private citizens have plates that are white at the front and yellow at the back, with black lettering.
Diplomatic Plates: Vehicles belonging to foreign embassies feature white text on a red background.
Motorbikes and Tuktuks: These have four-character plates with black letters and digits.
Customized Plates: Vehicle owners can personalize their plates for a fee, with costs reaching up to Ksh 1 million.
County Government Plates: Used for county vehicles, these plates include a County Code followed by numbers and a letter, such as “019 CG 234A” for Nyeri County.
By Creatorhub