Secondhand vehicles registered in 2017 or earlier have less than five weeks to be cleared at Kenyan ports or be locked out due to the eight-year rule, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) reminded importers in a notice on Tuesday.
- •Kenya has an eight-year age limit requirement for used cars, which traditionally drives up demand in the last quarter of the year.
- •A plan to reduce the limit to five years has been controversial, as it means that the cost of a used car would be significantly higher.
- •The current criteria includes a used car must not have been registered before the age limit, must be right hand drive, and must be road worthy.
“Any vehicle registered in 2017 or earlier, arriving after 31st December 2024 will be deemed not compliant with KS 1515:2000 and shall be rejected at the importer’s expense,” KEBS said in the notice.
Vehicles from countries where KEBS has an inspection agency have to be accompanied with a Certificate of Roadworthiness from an inspection service company approved by KEBS – the Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan.
The rules apply to all importers of used motor vehicles including returning residents, diplomatic staff and the general public. The age limit rule also states that the difference between a car’s year of manufacture and its year of registration should be a year or less.
The only exceptions to the right-hand criterion are special purpose vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines. Large construction are also exempted if they are meant for projects and are eventually donated to the government.
Quality Safety Equipment
In July, KEBS raised alarm over fake motor vehicle safety equipment, especially chevrons and portable triangles, in the market increasing the risk of road accidents across the country.
Flagging down the fake motor vehicle chevrons and portable triangles is part of Kenya Bureau of Standard’s broader efforts to enhance road safety in the country. In April this year, The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said about 1,214 lives were lost in road accidents between January-April.
