A Vauxhaull Velox at the Nairobi National park.Photo taken in 1963.
It is not known when the first vehicle was registered in Kenya, but it is thought to be before 1920. Single letters were attributed to each of the 14 registration districts i.e. N=Kiambu, E=Kisumu, J=Kitale, B, H, T, W=Nairobi, A=Mombasa, C=Nakuru, D=Kericho, F=Eldoret, G=Nyeri, K=Muranga (Fort Hall), L=Kisii, Q=Machakos, S=Lamu, V=Isiolo, Y=Nanyuki. A serial number of 1-9999 followed, on white on black plates, save for public transport vehicles, ie buses, taxis and hire cars, which used black on white.
The 1950 K-prefix series was a change to a three-letter numbering system, necessitated by the increasing number of vehicles being registered. It was introduced on a regional basis as follow; All plates began with K, followed by the regional code (below) and a serial letter A-Z, not using letters I or O.
Nairobi - KB (1950), KF (1955), KG (1959), KH (1961), KK (1965), KM (1968), KN (1970), KP (1972), KQ (1974), KR (1976) and KV (1978)
Mombasa - KA (1950), KJ (1966), KT (1977)
Nakuru - KC (1950), KL (1967), KS (1977)
Kisumu - KD (1950), KU (1977)
Nanyuki - KE
Other number were issued
Some KC and KL numbers were issued to Eldoret and Kitale.
KBA was issued in Nyeri, the first Nairobi number being KBB. Nyeri then followed with KFE and KGT.
Kericho was issued with KDB then KDK which were used up to 1969.
Kisii was issued with KDE then shared KDK with Kericho.
Kakamega used KDL between 1962 and 1967.
The numbering system was centralised in 1980 and after that date all Kenya numbers are in sequence. Between 1980 and 1984 the unused numbers from Nakuru (KS), Mombasa (KT) and Kisumu (KU) were issued, KW (1984) being the first number that was never used regionally.
It is not known when the first vehicle was registered in Kenya, but it is thought to be before 1920. Single letters were attributed to each of the 14 registration districts i.e. N=Kiambu, E=Kisumu, J=Kitale, B, H, T, W=Nairobi, A=Mombasa, C=Nakuru, D=Kericho, F=Eldoret, G=Nyeri, K=Muranga (Fort Hall), L=Kisii, Q=Machakos, S=Lamu, V=Isiolo, Y=Nanyuki. A serial number of 1-9999 followed, on white on black plates, save for public transport vehicles, ie buses, taxis and hire cars, which used black on white.
The 1950 K-prefix series was a change to a three-letter numbering system, necessitated by the increasing number of vehicles being registered. It was introduced on a regional basis as follow; All plates began with K, followed by the regional code (below) and a serial letter A-Z, not using letters I or O.
Nairobi - KB (1950), KF (1955), KG (1959), KH (1961), KK (1965), KM (1968), KN (1970), KP (1972), KQ (1974), KR (1976) and KV (1978)
Mombasa - KA (1950), KJ (1966), KT (1977)
Nakuru - KC (1950), KL (1967), KS (1977)
Kisumu - KD (1950), KU (1977)
Nanyuki - KE
Other number were issued
Some KC and KL numbers were issued to Eldoret and Kitale.
KBA was issued in Nyeri, the first Nairobi number being KBB. Nyeri then followed with KFE and KGT.
Kericho was issued with KDB then KDK which were used up to 1969.
Kisii was issued with KDE then shared KDK with Kericho.
Kakamega used KDL between 1962 and 1967.
The numbering system was centralised in 1980 and after that date all Kenya numbers are in sequence. Between 1980 and 1984 the unused numbers from Nakuru (KS), Mombasa (KT) and Kisumu (KU) were issued, KW (1984) being the first number that was never used regionally.
