DUTY FREE VEHICLES FOR KENYANS ABROAD

President Uhuru Kenyatta has relaxed import rules to allow Kenyans abroad to sell their Left-hand-drive cars and get Right-hand ones duty-free when they return home.

The President directed Cabinet Secretaries Michael Kamau (Transport), Henry Rotich (National Treasury) and Adan Mohammed (Industrialisation) to work out ways of easing the import rules for Kenyans living in the diaspora.

While addressing Kenyans at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington, DC, President Kenyatta said he was aware of the restrictions on importing left-hand-drive vehicles, hence his directive to relax the rules.

The directive is yet to be implemented by the respective government agencies so as to allow Kenyans returning from abroad to import duty free cars.

Current Customs Regulations with respect to exemption from paying customs duties on motor vehicles for a returning residence

1. One motor vehicle when being imported as a baggage by a person on first arrival or a returning resident;

2. The Proper (customs) officer is satisfied that the person is a bona fide changing residence from a place outside a Partner State to a place within a Partner state;

3. You must have resided outside Kenya for at least two years during which period you should not have visited Kenya for an aggregate of more than 90 days;

4. The Passenger has personally owned and used the motor vehicle outside a Partner State for at least twelve months (excluding the period of the voyage in the case of shipment);

5. Provided that the motor vehicle is not older than 8 years at the time of importing into Kenya. Motor vehicles of over 8 years old are not allowed into Kenya as per the KS 1515:2000 quality standard by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Kenya Customs enforces this requirement. This year, we are allowing vehicles manufactured in the year 2006 September and thereafter;

6. Provided that the person has attained the age of eighteen years;

7. The rule excludes:

• Buses and minibuses with seating capacity of more than 13 passengers
• Load carrying vehicles of load carrying capacity exceeding two tonnes;

8. You must not have been granted a similar exemption previously.
9. Also the deceased person’s motor vehicle which the deceased owned and used outside a Partner State in compliance with A-H above;

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