A new report has revealed a worrying trend in car thefts across Kenya, with vehicles bearing registration plates starting with 'KD' emerging as the most targeted. Worse still, if your car is a Toyota, the risk of theft increases significantly.
The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) report shows that half of all vehicles stolen in 2024 had plates beginning with 'KD'. A total of 327 vehicles were reported stolen, a drop from 419 in 2023.
“Vehicles with registration numbers beginning with 'KD' were the most stolen (50.15 per cent), followed by 'KC' (35.17 per cent), 'KB' (10.40 per cent), and 'KA' (1.83 per cent),” states the report.
Toyota remains the most stolen brand, accounting for 54.91 per cent of reported cases. Other frequently stolen brands include Isuzu (12.88 per cent), Mazda (7.06 per cent), Nissan (5.83 per cent), and Mitsubishi (3.99 per cent).
The data further reveals that Kenyans driving station wagons, such as the Toyota Fielder and Subaru Outback, face the highest risk, with these vehicles making up 67.80 per cent of theft cases.
Other targeted categories include lorries (11.46 per cent), saloons (6.81 per cent), and pickups (3.72 per cent).
The report also highlights colour as a factor in theft trends. White vehicles were the most stolen (39.80 per cent), followed by silver (16.72 per cent) and black (15.38 per cent).
In terms of value, most stolen vehicles had an insured value of less than Ksh1 million. Vehicles valued between Ksh1 million and Ksh2 million accounted for 26.07 per cent of thefts, while those above Ksh3 million made up 27.3 per cent.
The most expensive vehicle stolen in 2024 was a Mitsubishi lorry valued at Ksh12.2 million.
“Theft of parts remains the highest category of reported incidents at 54.28 per cent. Vehicles stolen while parked accounted for 31.91 per cent, while hijackings made up 7.24 per cent,” the report notes.
Despite the overall decline in theft cases, recovery rates remain low. Only 15.92 per cent of stolen vehicles were successfully recovered in 2024, though this marks an improvement from the 11.72 per cent recovery rate recorded in 2023.
“This data is integrated into AKI’s Insurance Motor Database System (IMIDS) to alert underwriters before issuing insurance certificates for vehicles reported stolen,” the insurers stated.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), vehicle thefts remain a notable security concern, with 1,687 cases reported in 2023, up from 1,459 in 2022.
Police urge vehicle owners to enhance security measures and remain vigilant, especially those driving high-risk models.
