A port worker based in the United Kingdom (UK) was impressed by the profile of high-end vehicles being shipped to Kenya while most neighbouring countries appeared to be sourcing jalopies from the European nation.
In a video that has since gone viral, the worker, who is an immigrant from Tanzanian, recorded a tour of the shipyard where he compared the vehicles destined to East African countries.
He noted that Kenyans imported the most luxurious and expensive models - Mercedes Benz, BMW and Range Rover compared to their Ugandan and Tanzanian counterparts.
"This Mercedes Benz GLE 2017 model is going to Kenya. Rarely will you find such a luxurious vehicle being shipped to Tanzania unless someone is extremely rich.
"Look at this; a 2015 model, a 2017 model, or this 2018 Range Rover Velar modern, high-end cars that show some level of affluence. But why should we be the ones driving bad vehicles?" he posed.
The worker noted that most vehicles shipped to Kenya were modern German machines or popular European models and that only the latest models of Japanese vehicles made it to Kenya.
However, he consoled himself and his compatriots that they were not so badly off compared to Ugandans who imported aged vehicles.
"This (a Toyota pickup) I bet is going to Tanzania because it is a 2012 model but this one ( a 1978 Mercedes Benz E-Class) is definitely going to Uganda," he declared.
The worker called on his countrymen to start questioning why they remained in the shadow of their neighbours despite the advancement in the country in the past few years.
"I have 20 years of experience in the industry and it is high time we ask ourselves why we are still stagnating as a country yet our economy is growing," he pointed out.
A few Tanzanians blamed the Tanzanian Revenue Authority (TRA) for imposing heavy import duty fees on imported vehicles.
Nonetheless, the East African counties have different caps on the age of vehicles allowed to be imported to their country - Kenya (seven years), Tanzania (eight years) and Uganda (15 years).
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