Number plates for diplomatic vehicles in Kenya have distinct red colour with letters CD specific numbers assigned to a country.
The number plates were assigned to the countries with embassies in Kenya in the order of when they recognized Kenya’s independence.
The first figures are the code for the diplomat's country, the CD shows it is for a Chartered Diplomat, and the next figures show which embassy it is allocated to depending on the rank of the car owner then, at the end is K which means the embassy is based in Kenya.
For instance, diplomatic registration number 1 CD 12 K, where 1 is the code for the diplomatic country.
CD means it is for a Chartered Diplomat, while 12 represents the rank of the car owner. K indicates that the embassy is located in Kenya.
The unique identification codes are meant to help law enforcement officers keep track of the country's diplomatic cars and enable the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to effectively perform its mandate.
To enhance service delivery, Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i opened GoK-UN Service Center in Gigiri, Nairobi, to allow diplomats to access several services including those relating to NTSA.
With the opening of the center, envoys will acquire all services within 12 hours.
It is however worth to note that vehicles bearing Diplomatic number plates are not exempted from local traffic laws.Incase of a breach cases are handled by the Diplomatic Police Unit.
Germany (then West Germany) was the first country to recognize Kenya’s independence so they have the diplomatic plate 1 CD as so forth. UN bodies also have diplomatic plates in Kenya.
Currently, the diplomatic plates in Kenya are as follows:
- 1 CD – Germany
- 2 CD – Russian Federation
- 3 CD – Ethiopia
- 4 CD – China
- 5 CD – Norway
- 6 CD – Hungary
- 7 CD – Egypt
- 8 CD – Serbia
- 9 CD – Italy
- 10 CD – France
- 11 CD – Slovakia
- 12 CD – Denmark
- 13 CD – Japan
- 14 CD – Sudan
- 15 CD – Austria
- 16 CD – India
- 17 CD – Australia
- 18 CD – Canada
- 19 CD – Holy See (The Vatican)
- 20 CD – Finland
- 21 CD – Switzerland
- 22 CD – Britain
- 23 CD – Liberia
- 24 CD – Israel
- 25 CD – Nigeria
- 26 CD – Ghana
- 27 CD – Netherlands
- 28 CD – Malawi
- 29 CD – United States of America (USA)
- 30 CD – Belgium
- 31 CD – Sweden
- 32 CD – Pakistan
- 33 CD – Poland
- 34 CD – Korea
- 35 CD – Bulgaria
- 36 CD – Greece
- 37 CD – Cuba
- 38 CD – Kuwait
- 39 CD – Spain
- 40 UN – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- 41 UN – World Health Organization (WHO)
- 42 UN – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- 43 UN – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The World Bank)
- 44 UN – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- 45 UN – World Food Programme (WFP)
- 45 CD – Romania
- 46 CD – Thailand
- 47 CD – The African Union (A.U)
- 48 CD – Colombia
- 49 CD – India
- 50 CD – Somalia
- 51 CD – Brazil
- 52 CD – Turkey
- 53 CD – Lesotho
- 54 CD – Zambia
- 55 CD – Madagascar
- 56 CD – Malaysia
- 57 CD – D.R. Congo (DRC)
- 58 CD – Swaziland
- 59 CD – Sri Lanka
- 60 CD – Iraq
- 61 CD – Rwanda
- 62 UN – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees / UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- 63 UN – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Eastern & Southern African Regional Office
- 64 CD – Iran
- 65 CD – Cyprus
- 66 CD – Argentina
- 67 UN – United Nations Information Centre (UNIC)
- 68 CD – Philippines
- 69 CD – Burundi
- 70 CD – Chile
- 71 CD – Oman
- 72 CD – League of Arab States / Arab League
- 73 CD – European Union
- 74 CD – Yemen
- 75 CD – Kenya Mission to UNEP
- 76 CD – Côte d’Ivoire (Consulate)
- 77 CD – Bangladesh
- 78 CD – Saudi Arabia
- 79 UN – United Nations Centre for Human Settlements / UN-Habitat (UNCHS)
- 80 CD – Libya
- 81 CD – Ireland (Consulate)
- 82 CD – United Nations Centre for Human Settlements / UN-Habitat (Kenya Mission)
- 83 CD – Algeria
- 84 CD – Palestine
- 85 CD – Uganda
- 86 CD – Mexico
- 87 CD – Morocco
- 88 CD – Costa Rica (Consulate)
- 89 CD – Gabon (Consulate)
- 90 UN – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Kenya Country Office
- 91 CD – Indonesia
- 92 CD – Portugal
- 93 CD – Venezuela
- 94 CD – Zimbabwe
- 95 CD – International Civil Aviation Organization (I.C.A.O)
- 96 CD – Asian Development Bank
- 97 CD – Tanzania
- 99 CD – Peru
- 100 CD – International Finance Corporation (I.F.C)
- 101 CD – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Norwegian Mission
- 102 CD – Mozambique
- 103 CD – South Africa
- 104 CD – Eritrea
- 105 UN – United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON)
- 106 CD – Czech Republic
- 107 CD – The Aga Khan
- 108 UN – UNFPA
- 110 UN – UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)
- 115 CD – Ukraine
- 116 CD – Sahrawi
- 117 CD – Djibouti
- 118 CD – Sierra Leone
- 121 CD – South Sudan
- 123 CD – United Arab Emirates
