Effective January 1, 2026, Kenya will prohibit the importation of used motor vehicles registered before 2019, impacting the nation's multi-billion-shilling second-hand car market. This new directive, announced by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), states that only right-hand drive vehicles first registered in 2019 or later will be allowed into the country.

• The new regulation aims to enhance road safety and curb emissions, aligning with the eight-year vehicle age limit under the Kenya Standard Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles (KS 1515:2000).
• Vehicles registered in 2018 or earlier must arrive at Kenyan ports by December 31, 2025, accompanied by a valid Certificate of Roadworthiness (COR), or face rejection at the importer's expense.
• This move is expected to boost local assembly plants by reducing competition from older imported vehicles and encourage the use of safer, more efficient units.