NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has rolled out a new directive that will require all used vehicles imported into the country to undergo document validation before inspection, in a bid to clamp down on fraud in the car import business.
Effective July 14, 2025, importers must submit key vehicle documents—such as logbooks, export certificates, or deregistration papers—for verification before their vehicles can be inspected and cleared for entry into Kenya.
The new requirement, published in the Tuesday edition of MyGov, aims to eliminate the use of forged or fraudulent paperwork in importing used vehicles, a problem KEBS says has been on the rise.
According to KEBS, the move aligns with the KS 1515:2000 standard, which regulates the importation of used road vehicles into Kenya.
Among other stipulations, the standard mandates that any imported used car must not be older than eight years from its Year of First Registration (YoR).
“To ensure compliance, all used vehicles entering Kenya without a Certificate of Roadworthiness (CoR) will now be subject to document validation,” the agency said. “Importers, traders, or sellers must ensure that key import documents are verified through an authorised database.”
To facilitate the process, KEBS has contracted Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan (QISJ) to handle validation for used vehicles lacking a CoR.
Only vehicles with successfully validated documentation will be allowed to proceed to KEBS’ mandatory destination inspection.
The verification service will cost importers Sh12,000 per vehicle and will be completed within four working days, KEBS stated. QISJ has established local offices in Nairobi and Mombasa to streamline the process.
The Nairobi office is on the 3rd Floor of Flamingo Towers, Mara Road, Upper Hill, and is headed by Brian Kuria (qis@qisjp.com, +254 727 009004).
The Mombasa office is located on Hatimy Talyani Road, opposite Bliss Medical Centre in Kizingo, and is managed by Mustafa Feisal (qisjke@qisjp.com, +254 727 009005).
KEBS underscored that the ultimate goal is to protect Kenyan consumers by ensuring all imported used cars meet the country’s safety and quality benchmarks.
“This initiative strengthens our mandate to uphold standards and ensure only quality products make their way to the Kenyan market. Standards evolve with technology, and our enforcement must match that pace,” the statement said.
KEBS has urged all importers to comply with the new validation requirement to avoid delays or complications at the port of entry.
“Only used motor vehicles with validated import documents will be subjected to destination inspection by KEBS, effective July 14,” the bureau reiterated.
