Some cars operating in the country have decorative CC-like letters inscribed at the front or rear of their bodies.
They are usually red in colour, making them conspicuous and distinctive on different highways across the country.
CC stands for Corps Consulaire, a French word for Consular Corps. Assigning the letters is part of the protocols for international engagement.
Consular Corps plates are assigned with direct authorisation from relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Transport and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirms the details of envoys allowed to operate in the country.
Who is Allowed to Have the Tag
According to Easy Diplomacy, a UK diplomacy directory, letters CC indicate that a vehicle belongs to a member of the Consular Corps. Consular Corps are diplomatic and commercial representatives from a certain country.
In Kenya, Consular Corps comprises foreign diplomats from different countries recognised by the government.
The representatives get CC letters engraved on their cars allowing them to move freely across different parts of the country. They form part of diplomacy in Kenya.
CC cars receive special treatment as owners are critical in fostering diplomatic relations. They also advance the interests of their respective citizens and governments.
However, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles bars cars with CC letters from engaging in commercial activities unless approved by the authorities. Owners are only allowed drive and ferry their family members.
In other countries like Australia, the government prescribes rules allowing individuals with CC letters to engage in different commercial activities.
CD Plates
CC plates, however, differ from CD plates. CD plates are specifically assigned to embassies in the order in which they recognised Kenya's independence. CD stands for corps diplomatique.
Germany became the first country in the world to recognise Kenya as an independent state; hence it was assigned diplomatic plate 1 CD.
CD plates display the rank of the diplomat riding a car and the country they are based. For instance, 1 CD 12 K, where 1 represents the code of the diplomatic country, CD- corps diplomatique, 12- is the rank of the envoy in that specific car and K- represents Kenya.
Generally, the unique letters and numbers help law enforcement officers execute their mandate effectively. They also help various agencies, including NTSA, keep records of cars belonging to different diplomats in the country.
