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Oct 19, 2014
General
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The Kenya Bureau of Standards has tightened rules on second-hand car imports, closing a window that dealers were using to bring in vehicles older than the allowed eight years.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards has tightened rules on second-hand car imports, closing a window that dealers were using to bring in vehicles older than the allowed eight years.
In an advertisement appearing in the papers on Friday, Kebs warned importers that any vehicle whose first year of registration is 2007 must have entered Kenya before December 31, 2014.
Those that will not have entered by midnight will be destroyed on arrival at the Port of Mombasa, it says.
“Only motor vehicles whose year of first registration is from January 1 2008 and later shall be allowed into the country as from January 1, 2015, the statement reads.
Certificates of roadworthiness
“It is further notified that certificates of roadworthiness for vehicles whose year of first registration is 2007 will not be valid after December 31, 2014. All vehicles issued with certificates must have arrived at the port of entry by December 31, 2014.”
Previously, ambiguity in import rules saw dealers bring in vehicles on the argument that they were loaded at the port of shipment by December 31.
Kebs now says such will have to be returned to the countries of origin or sold to other countries.
“We have a statutory mandate not to allow importation of vehicles older than the stipulated eight years,” said Mr John Abong, director of quality assurance and inspection at Kebs.
He added that the rules are much tighter this time; saying they will act promptly to ward off cartels at the Port of Mombasa notorious for forging import documents to bring into the country over-age vehicles.
In March, Kebs marked over 2,000 vehicles worth an estimated Sh4 billion for destruction, despite pleas by importers.
“Vehicles exported from countries where Kebs has pre- export verification of conformity arrangements with partners for motor vehicles shall need to be accompanied by Certificates of Roadworthiness issued in the countries of export by any Kebs appointed partners,” said the notice.
The national chairman of Car Importers Association in Kenya, Mr Peter Otieno, faulted Kebs for hasty decisions on destroying vehicles despite the existence of other options that the bureau could explore.
In an advertisement appearing in the papers on Friday, Kebs warned importers that any vehicle whose first year of registration is 2007 must have entered Kenya before December 31, 2014.
Those that will not have entered by midnight will be destroyed on arrival at the Port of Mombasa, it says.
“Only motor vehicles whose year of first registration is from January 1 2008 and later shall be allowed into the country as from January 1, 2015, the statement reads.
Certificates of roadworthiness
“It is further notified that certificates of roadworthiness for vehicles whose year of first registration is 2007 will not be valid after December 31, 2014. All vehicles issued with certificates must have arrived at the port of entry by December 31, 2014.”
Previously, ambiguity in import rules saw dealers bring in vehicles on the argument that they were loaded at the port of shipment by December 31.
Kebs now says such will have to be returned to the countries of origin or sold to other countries.
“We have a statutory mandate not to allow importation of vehicles older than the stipulated eight years,” said Mr John Abong, director of quality assurance and inspection at Kebs.
He added that the rules are much tighter this time; saying they will act promptly to ward off cartels at the Port of Mombasa notorious for forging import documents to bring into the country over-age vehicles.
In March, Kebs marked over 2,000 vehicles worth an estimated Sh4 billion for destruction, despite pleas by importers.
“Vehicles exported from countries where Kebs has pre- export verification of conformity arrangements with partners for motor vehicles shall need to be accompanied by Certificates of Roadworthiness issued in the countries of export by any Kebs appointed partners,” said the notice.
The national chairman of Car Importers Association in Kenya, Mr Peter Otieno, faulted Kebs for hasty decisions on destroying vehicles despite the existence of other options that the bureau could explore.
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