The Kenya Bureau of Standards has released new guidelines regarding the importation of used or second-hand motor vehicles.
Effective January 1, 2024, the regulations affecting returning residents, diplomatic staff, and the general public stipulate that only right-hand drive vehicles will be permitted to enter the country.
As per the notice published in a weekly dated December 5, vehicles with a year of first registration on or after January 1, 2017, will be permitted into the country.
This directive complies with clause 2.5 of KS 1515:2000, which outlines the requirement for an eight-year age limit for vehicles.
Additionally, this measure aligns with the stipulations outlined in KS 1515:2000, the Kenya Standard Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles, and is consistent with the regulations specified in Legal Notice No.78 of April 28, 2020, pertaining to the Verification of Conformity to Kenya Standards of Imports Order.
“Vehicles exported to Kenya shall be expected to comply with KS 1515:2000-Kenya Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles while vehicles from countries where KEBS has an inspection agency,” the notice reads.
The specified countries affected by these regulations include Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Singapore, and South Africa.
Any car imported from these countries must be accompanied by a Certificate of Roadworthiness issued by Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan, an inspection company contracted by KEBS, according to the announcement. It further specifies that the Certificates of Roadworthiness for vehicles first registered in 2016 will no longer be valid after December 31, 2023.
KEBS stipulated that all vehicles issued with such certificates must arrive at the port of destination or entry on December 31, 2023.
“Any vehicle registered in 2016 or earlier, arriving after December 31, 2023, will be deemed not compliant with KS 1515:2000 and shall be rejected at the importer’s expense,” the agency stated.
The Kebs KS 1515:2000 code pertaining to left-hand drive vehicles stipulates that registration is permitted only for special purposes. Such purposes include ambulances, fire tenders, and large construction vehicles imported for projects, with the intention of eventual donation to the Kenyan government, contingent upon meeting roadworthiness standards.
