The Government has advised Kenyan citizens who are returning from abroad with their vehicles which do not meet the 8-year-old rule for all imported vehicles, to apply for a waiver before shipping their vehicles to the country in order to avoid losses.
Speaking when he chaired a meeting with officers from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Industrialization PS Dr. Karanja Kibicho said this will save them from suffering heavy demurrage at the port of Mombasa and the costs of re-shipping the vehicles back to the countries of origin when their applications are rejected.
He said the National Standards Council had set up a Technical Waivers Evaluation Committee to deal with applications in line with the approved criteria.
KEBS Managing Director Joseph Koskey said the committee sits twice a month adding that in the event that the applications are many, the committee convenes even earlier to evaluate them.
He explained that once applications for the exemption on the eight year rule are rejected, people are required to ship their vehicles back to the countries of origin.
They are not allowed to sell these vehicles as scrap to metal dealers.
He further pointed out that the other option was for owners to meet the cost of crushing these vehicles at the port and that of disposal of the crushed units.
The council has now developed and published procedures and criterion which the technical evaluation committee uses to evaluate the applications.
Among beneficiaries of the waiver are Kenyan citizens returning home after a period of two years who have a personal attachment to the vehicles they have pre- owned for at least two years. This category of applicants has to produce a logbook, a copy of their passports and also have to get clearance by Interpol.
Under the affirmative action for disabled people in the spirit of People with Disability Act, the Committee also considers customized vehicles for disabled people being imported for use by an individual. Applicants have to apply for waiver, prove disability and avail a report detailing customization of the vehicle to accommodate disability together with purchase documents.
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