Used vehicle importers fear losses on December age-limit deadline
Used cars at the Magari Land yard in Mombasa County. Vehicles registered before 2017 will not be permitted to enter Kenya once the new regulations take effect.
Kenyan motor vehicle dealers and individuals are in a rush to beat the December 31, 2024 deadline for 2017 manufactured units imports as directed by the standard’s regulator amid fears that longer shipping lead times will cause substantial losses for those unable to comply.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has issued the guidelines under the eight-year rule that locks out older cars from being shipped into the country.
Importers have been warned that any vehicles registered in 2017 or earlier must arrive in Kenya by December 31, 2024, to avoid rejection at the port.
The standards regulator warned that vehicles failing to meet this deadline will not be compliant with the new regulations and will be turned away at the importer’s expense.
The new notice has elicited mixed reactions from the dealers with the Car Importers Association of Kenya (CIAK) saying the requirement is issued without consulting key stakeholders which will incur huge losses.
CIAK chairman Peter Otieno said the delay caused by longer sea freight routes will also add to the losses of the vehicles which are already abroad waiting to be shipped.
“Importers are rushing to beat the eight-year rule, which has traditionally driven up numbers as the year closes, the recent announcement by Kebs will directly affect business as many vehicles will be locked out. Leading to losses of millions of shillings,” said Mr Otieno.
CIAK has since urged the government to consider all vehicles cleared by Kebs be allowed into the country past December 31, 2024 and that they will move to court to compel the government to consider their request to avert more losses.
“There are a number of logistics challenges at the moment including the delays caused by Houthi militants which have disrupted a shipping route thus increasing the number of days the vessels are docked in Mombasa. We expect this to delay delivery of vehicles resulting in losses,” said Mr Otieno.
Attacks by Houthi militants based in Yemen have led to prolonged re-routing of shipments pushing vessels to navigate away from the Suez Canal and around the Cape of Good Hope.
Mr Otieno said only one vessel with second-hand vehicles is scheduled to dock this month while several are expected to dock at the end of December and in January.
This week, Kebs issued a public notice to all importers of used and second-hand motor vehicles, detailing new regulations that will come into effect on January 1, 2025.
Under the updated guidelines, only right-hand drive vehicles whose first registration was on or after January 1, 2018, will be allowed into the country.
This is in line with the Kenya Standard Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles (KS 1515:2000), which includes an age limit for vehicles imported into the country.
This directive aims to enforce an eight-year age limit on imported used vehicles, aligning with the Kenya Standard Code for Inspection of Road Vehicles (KS 1515:2000) to enhance road safety and vehicle quality in Kenya.
This change is part of a broader strategy by Kebs to reduce the influx of older, potentially unsafe vehicles into the Kenyan market.
According to Kebs, vehicles registered before 2017 will no longer be permitted to enter Kenya after the new rules take effect.
"In compliance with the Kenya Standards, Kebs is enforcing the eight-year age limit on all used motor vehicles entering Kenya. This is aimed at improving road safety and ensuring better-quality vehicles on our roads," said Kebs in a statement.
The new regulations also affect how vehicles are certified before importation.
Vehicles from countries where Kebs has an inspection agency, including Japan, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, must present a Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR) from a Keb-approved inspection service.
For vehicles registered in 2017, the CoR will only be valid until December 31, 2024.
"Any vehicle that arrives in Kenya after that date with a 2017 registration will not be accepted, and the importer will bear the costs of rejection," Kebs added in the statement.
Kebs also stressed that the regulations are part of a broader effort to align Kenya's vehicle inspection standards with international practices and reduce the importation of outdated, substandard vehicles.
Importers, including returning residents and diplomatic staff, are urged to adhere to the new rules and ensure that their vehicles comply with the required specifications to avoid costly rejections at the port of entry.
