Motor Vehicle Importers Lose Billions
Motorists on a Colossal Traffic Jam Along Busy Uhuru Highway in Nairobi
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke
Motor vehicle importers in Kenya have recorded losses running into billions of shillings after sales and imports dipped in 2020.
Charles Munyori, Secretary-General of Kenya Auto Bazaar Association (KABA) stated that the year posed a challenge especially after the outbreak of Covid-19.
The economic disruption also reduced the demand for vehicles in the country. Munyori said that second-hand models account for over 85 percent of all imported vehicles in Kenya.
Data by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) disclosed that import of new and used automobiles declined by 7 percent in the year ending December 2020, compared to the same period in December 2019. 85,624 were imported in 2020 while 92,120 units were imported in 2019. This indicates that the imports declined by 6,496.
Motor vehicle imports fall 7pc on Covid setback
Wednesday February 10 2021
By VICTOR JUMA
Summary
Imports of new and used motor vehicles declined seven percent to 85,624 units in the year ended December compared to 92,120 units in 2019, according to data from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
The statistics show that auto imports fell sharply in the first half of last year when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country and the strictest measures were taken to curb its spread.
Units imported in the six months to June 2020 dropped 30.2 percent to 34,054 compared to 48,839 in a similar period the year before.
Imports of new and used motor vehicles declined seven percent to 85,624 units in the year ended December compared to 92,120 units in 2019, according to data from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).