National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Director General George Njao./FILENational Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Director General George Njao is set to exit the position after serving a maximum of two terms as the authority commences the process of replacing him.
The NTSA board has advertised the DG’s vacancy following the expiry of Njao’s second and final term, which comes to an end next week.
Njao was appointed as NTSA boss on November 12, 2019, to replace Francis Meja for a period of three years following a competitive recruitment exercise.
In November 2022, the then Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen gave him a second and final term following recommendations by the NTSA board.
In an advert appearing in today’s MyGov publication, suitable candidates have been asked to apply for the job on or before the deadline of the 28th of this month.
Interested persons should possess a master’s degree in either Engineering, Business Management, Sciences, technology, Commerce, Social Sciences, Education, Law or any other related field form a recognised university.
The prospective candidate should also have at least 15 years of experience in the public or private sector, of which five should be at the senior management level, in addition to complying with chapter six of the conditions on leadership and integrity.
The board of directors chaired by Khatib Mwashetani is expected to meet and forward names to Transport CS Davis Chirchir to pick an acting DG from when Njao officially leaves next week.
A bid to send Njao home in 2023 flopped after CS Murkomen intervened to overturn a decision.
NTSA board had sent him on a 30-day compulsory leave to investigate an increase in road accidents, but he was later reinstated and allowed to serve his full term.
And in July 2024, the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) dismissed a case seeking the removal of Njao on grounds that his appointment was not competitive and that the intended extension should be stopped by the court.
Judge Byram Ongaya ruled that the application for Njao’s removal was an abuse of the court process, stating that the court had previously issued a ruling on a similar matter.
“The current application is an abuse of court process and is res judicata. The applicant should have appealed if dissatisfied. As the application has been found to abuse the court process, the applicant will pay the costs,” Justice Ongaya ruled.
NTSA is mandated to develop and implement policies relating to road transport and safety, including registering and licensing motor vehicles, inspecting and certifying vehicles, regulating public service vehicles, and establishing and overseeing driver training and licensing systems.
In September, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched a probe into allegations of corruption within the driver testing process at the NTSA.
The probe follows complaints and whistleblower reports implicating some NTSA officials in alleged improprieties.
According to documents seen by the Star, concerns about bribery and malpractice within the driver licensing system first emerged in April 2025 when NTSA issued a warning letter to all driving school operators and instructors.
The letter, signed by the Authority’s Director of Road Safety, cautioned against what it described as a growing culture of offering “appreciation” payments to examiners during driver testing.
The Authority stated that such practices posed a serious threat to road safety. The DCI became involved after allegations were circulated anonymously, linking a senior NTSA officer to bribery claims.
The officer later wrote to the DCI on September 6, 2025, complaining of what was termed as malicious targeting.
The official said the anonymous allegations were defamatory, damaged reputations, and were linked to internal sabotage. The officer denied any wrongdoing and sought the intervention of investigators.
