Kenya turns around on its plan to ban the import of cars from time to time



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  • Mr. Peter Munya said that the proposed policy change was motivated by the need not to block the middle clbad of the automotive market.
  • The change indicates that the government has eased its position on the draft rule, which has sparked a heated debate among players in motor vehicle sales.
  • Cars with a cubic capacity less than or equal to 1.5 liters will now be spared from the vehicle age limit reduction plan.

Kenya has turned back on its plan to ban the import of used cars over 8 years old.

Peter Munya, secretary of the Cabinet of Commerce and Industry, said Thursday that, contrary to their announcement, cars with a cubic capacity less than or equal to 1.5 liter would now be spared the plan to reduce the age limit for vehicle imports from eight to five years from July.

Peter Munya, Secretary of the Cabinet of Commerce

Mr. Peter Munya said that the proposed policy change was motivated by the need not to block the middle clbad of the automotive market.

"You will continue to import eight-year-old vehicles if they have 1500cc. That will not change, for the moment, " Mr. Munya said in an interview with Citizen TV.

The change indicates that the government has eased its position on the draft rule, which has sparked a heated debate among players in motor vehicle sales.

Port of Mombasa.

In a letter dated December 20, 2018 addressed to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), the secretary of the Cabinet of Commerce, Peter Munya, asked the regulator to draft legislative amendments lowering the limit of time. age and increasing the permissible exhaust emission standards for all vehicle imports.

"Know that the government is already committed to developing a national strategic framework for the automobile and, at the same time, to examine the emission levels and age limit of motor vehicles. imported from eight (8) to five (5) years from July 2019. " Mr. Munya wrote in a letter to Kebs on December 20, 2018.

If the proposal had come into being, it would have led to a sharp rise in car prices.

Traffic jam on one of Nairobi's highways.

However, the commercial secretary quickly pointed out that those who wish to import vehicles with larger engines "will be able to absorb the impact of rising prices and taxes" on the five-year models.

They will also have the choice to buy smaller cars if they become price sensitive.

Cars waiting for customs clearance in front of one of the hangars of the port of Mombasa.

The Mazda Demio, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Vitz, Nissan Note and Toyota Rush models will benefit from the status quo.

A vehicle manufactured in 2012 is the oldest that can be imported into the country this year based on the current age limit of eight years, but the move to five years means that the year of manufacture will be at from 2015.

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