NAIROBI, Kenya, July 8 – The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has introduced a mandatory document validation process for used motor vehicles imported without a valid Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR).
In a notice to importers, KEBS said the new requirement is aimed at curbing the importation of vehicles with forged or altered documents that misrepresent the vehicle’s age or country of origin.
Under the new directive, importers of used vehicles arriving in Kenya without a CoR must submit relevant documents—including logbooks, export certificates, or deregistration certificates—to local offices of Quality Inspection Services Japan (QISJ) for validation before undergoing destination inspection.
“Importers of used motor vehicles not accompanied by a Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR) are required to submit copies of the logbook, deregistration certificate, or export certificate from the country of last registration to any QISJ local office for validation,” KEBS stated.
Only vehicles with successfully validated documents will be allowed to proceed to the inspection stage. This will ensure compliance with age and origin requirements before the vehicles are cleared for use in Kenya.
The move is part of KEBS’ efforts to enforce the KS 1515:2000 standards, which require that all used vehicles imported into the country must not exceed eight years from the year of first registration.
