- KEBS announced a new policy that will block the importation of used vehicles first registered before 2019 starting January 1, 2026
- KEBS clarified that only right-hand-drive vehicles registered from January 1, 2019, will be allowed into the country from 2026
- KEBS warned that CORs for 2018-registered vehicles will expire on December 31, 2025, and any such vehicles arriving after this date will be rejected at the importer’s expense
Elijah Ntongai, an editor at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has announced a major policy shift affecting the importation of used cars in Kenya.
Source: UGC
The policy shift will block the importation of used motor vehicles first registered before 2019 starting January 1, 2026, tightening compliance with the country’s eight-year age limit rule.
Why did KEBS ban the vehicles?
In a notice issued to importers, returning residents, diplomatic staff, and the general public, the standards agency said the move is in line with the Kenya Standard KS 1515:2000.
This is the Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles and the Verification of Conformity to Kenya Standards of Imports Order outlined under Legal Notice No. 78 of April 28, 2020.
KEBS emphasised that only right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles whose first registration dates fall on or after January 1, 2019, will be cleared for importation from the beginning of 2026.
The agency added that all vehicles shipped to Kenya must meet the specifications laid out in KS 1515:2000.
Those originating from markets where KEBS has appointed inspection agents, such as Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Singapore, and South Africa, will require a Certificate of Roadworthiness (COR) issued by Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan (QISJ), KEBS’ contracted inspection company.
Source: Twitter
When is the deadline for older vehicles?
As part of the transition, KEBS declared that CORs for vehicles registered in 2018 will automatically become invalid after December 31, 2025.
Importers with such vehicles must ensure they arrive at Kenyan ports by the deadline.
Any 2018 or older units arriving after December 31, 2025, will be classified as non-compliant and rejected at the importer’s cost.
The new rules are expected to reshape the used-car import market, which heavily relies on older, more affordable units from Japan and the UK.
Vehicle validation documents
Earlier in the year, KEBS issued a new notice to importers of second-hand vehicles in the country, listing the documents car dealers must present to quality inspection offices in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Used cars imported without a current Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR) must undergo a rigorous document validation process designed to curb the importation of vehicles with falsified paperwork on age or country of origin.
KEBS requires importers to present logbooks, export certificates, or deregistration certificates to QISJ offices for verification before destination inspection.
KEBS said only vehicles with properly validated documents will proceed to inspection to ensure compliance with KS 1515:2000, which limits used-car imports to vehicles no older than eight years from the date of first registration.
The agency set the validation fee at KSh 12,000 per vehicle.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
