Members of the Kenya Auto Bazaar Association (KABA) have penned a heartfelt letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta in a full-page newspaper advert, urging him not to shut them down.
In the letter signed by KABA Chairman John Kipchumba and Secretary Charles G. Munyori, the members are requesting the President to put on hold the proposed Draft National Automobile Policy.
According to KABA, the proposed policy is very discriminative and is solely designed, motivated and purposed to destroy the used car import business in Kenya.
The proposed policy, which was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Trade Industry and Cooperatives, Peter Munya, in January, seeks to limit the age of used cars imported into the country from the current eight years to five, and then to three years by 2021.
KABA is of the view that if the policy is implemented in its current form, a majority of Kenyans (85 per cent) will never afford a car due to a rise in cost.
They state that the motor vehicle industry will only remain a preserve of the privileged few including big companies, aid agencies, a few wealthy buyers and the government.
They also argue that consumers should be given a freedom of choice by letting the forces of demand and supply dictate the shift in the Kenyan automative consumers' preference to either new or used cars.
Furthermore, they claim that the used car sector in the country has over the years grown into a formidable force that is today proudly spread across the nation and brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, traders, salespersons, owners, and even mechanics.
KABA adds that the used car sector contributes to the National Government in excess of Ksh49 billion in taxes annually and provides livelihoods to thousands of Kenyans.
The appeal also accused the new motor vehicle franchise holders and assemblers of benefiting a great deal from tax rebates and exemptions in the guise of promoting local motor vehicle manufacturing, yet they import completely built units (CBU).
They are now appealing to the president to convene a new consultative forum that will embrace and incorporate the views and recommendations of all manufacturers and automotive stakeholders, in order to come up with a new all-inclusive policy.
