When travelling on Kenyan roads, there is an unusual observation you might have made: number plates painted on vehicle bodies despite having reflective number plates fitted on the same car as required by law.
While the practice may appear to be an additional form of vehicle registration, it raises questions about why transport operators use the markings and whether they are required by Kenyan law.
One of the practical advantages of displaying registration numbers in large lettering is that it makes vehicles easier to identify from different positions.
Some of the markings, which are particularly noticeable on long-distance lorries and cargo trucks, often appear on the sides, rear sections, roofs and front visors of the vehicles.
A closer look reveals that this practice is mainly common among trucks and heavy commercial vehicles, raising questions about why they are required to display their number plates this way.
For instance, at the port, there are several trucks waiting to be loaded with cargo for transportation. The front and rear plates are often small and are fixed at specific points; hence, verification and identification during loading are difficult. Painted numbers can be displayed across larger sections of a truck.
The markings may also assist in identifying vehicles captured by surveillance cameras, especially where the front or rear number plate is not clearly visible.