Second hand vehicles in a yard.[Photo/Standard]
Importers of second-hand motor vehicles have been hit a major blow after the government announced plans to further lower the age limit for used-vehicle imports to five years.
Earlier in the year, a new law (vehicle scrapping policy) which took effect on January 1, had seen the State slash age limit for imported cars to eight years, in a raft of measures envisioned to promote local vehicle assembly.
Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohammed said that those measures “have been insignificant,” saying that a further review would be crucial in luring investments into the sector that last year endured the brunt of negative consumer sentiment due to extended electioneering.
The CS said that such proposals are being looked at in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and will see only vehicles whose year of first registration do not exceed five years, enter the country.
He was speaking during the formal launch of the Isuzu East Africa brand to the Kenyan market. The Japanese automaker had in July last year bought out General Motor’s 57.7 per cent stake in General Motors East Africa.