There are over 500,000 vehicles registered in Kenya and you have probably seen different number plates and colors of the plates while driving around the country.
It is the duty of the Registrar of Motor vehicles to register, issue number plates and log books for all the vehicles, trailers, tractors, mobile cranes, motorcycles, and all other types of motor vehicles.
Addition, the Registrar keeps records for all the vehicles registered by the department; civilian, government (G.K.), parastatals, city/county councils, and UN bodies as well as embassies.
There are five types of number plates issued by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles; for civilian, GK, parastatals, local authorities, and diplomats.
Civilian number plates have a white plate on the front bumper and yellow oblong or squire plate in the rear bumper depending on the make of the car.
The GK plates are also similar in design and colour as civilian ones and only differ in the numbering.
Parastatals have the same design of plates but both plates are blue in colour, and the Local Authorities have green colour while diplomats have red ones.
After independence (December 1963), registration for government-owned vehicles were changed to Government of Kenya (GK) followed by four digits which changed after reaching GK 9999 when it changed to GK 001A.
In 1997, a new serial numbering was adopted GK B653C (GK, gap, a letter, 3 digits and a letter).
Civilian cars registration identification marking are for example KAB 159 while the diplomats are given red number plates and registration marks 99 CD 19 K.
The first figures are the code for the diplomats country, CD shows it is for a Chartered Diplomat and the next figures show which embassy it is allocated to then, at the end is K which means the embassy is based in Kenya.
International non-profit organizations also have red number plates with the following pattern; KX 06 B 68.
The first two letters are a code for these NGOs, and the next two digits and a letter are for a particular NGO, then the next set of figures are the serial number of the car or ranking of the officer who owns it.
Trailers also have their distinctive registration which is the ZA 0149.