How To Buy A Car As An Expat In Kenya
Karibu Kenya. Hakuna matata.
Well, kuna matata. The process of buying a car as an expat in Kenya can be a little bit overwhelming, especially if you are not familiar with the local market and regulations. But with the right information and approach, it’s a much smoother and more enjoyable experience. That is why in this article, we’ll cover the steps to follow and information that will help you when you are buying a car as an expat in Kenya.
What to Expect Owning a Car as an Expat in Kenya
Kenya is a friendly and welcoming country that has become a hotspot for expats from all over the world. You’ll easily fall in love with its cosmopolitan culture, vibrant atmosphere, and warm climate. You’ll find no shortage of adventure, tranquility, and fun in this country.
Nairobi is East Africa’s trade and financial hub, with many international businesses headquartered in the capital. In the Internations 2022 Expat City Ranking, Nairobi was ranked first in Africa and sixth globally for helping foreigners settle in easily. From expat essentials to making local friends and the social life, 66 percent of expats found it easy to settle in Nairobi (against a global average of 42 percent). The survey analyzes five areas of expatriate life – quality of urban towns, getting settled, work-life balance, finance, housing and cost of living, to reveal the likely city of choice for expats to move to.
While public transport in Nairobi is affordable and relatively reliable, you might want to get your own car if you’re planning a long-term stay in Kenya. Driving yourself around is more convenient (and cheaper in the long run) than using public transport or taxis.
You can own a car as a foreigner in Kenya as long as you have an alien ID (non-resident ID) and a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) tax PIN. To get these documents, you must have legally entered Kenya and obtained a legal pass into the country as a resident, not a tourist.
You can also drive as a foreigner in Kenya but you’ll need to get a Kenyan driving license first. If you come from the Commonwealth countries or hold an international driving permit, according to the Traffic Act of Kenya section 31, you can apply for a driving license without undergoing a driving test first. It is illegal to drive without a government-issued driving license.
The Kenyan driving license restricts the kind of vehicle you can drive, depending on the training you’ve received. A breakdown of the different categories and the requirements for getting a license in each category is available here.
You can drive a heavy commercial vehicle in Kenya if you have the necessary documentation to prove that you could do that in your home country.
Keep in mind that the local traffic rules apply to you as long as you’re driving on Kenyan roads. And if you’re used to driving on the right side in your home country, it may take a while to get used to driving on the left in Kenya.
How to Legally Own a Vehicle in Kenya as an Expat
As mentioned earlier, you need to have an alien ID and a KRA PIN to own a car (or any other property) in Kenya.
Once you have those documents, you should register an account with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). This is done on the new NTSA Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS) portal. Here’s how to do that:
Step 1: Click on “Register account” on the TIMS login page
Step 2: In the “Registration identification” page, click on “Individual” then select “Alien” and click “next.”
Step 3: Enter the serial number on your alien ID and click “search.”
Step 4: If your alien ID is already in the NTSA system, you’ll see a field for entering your passport details (date of issue) and click “search.” Once those details are returned, click on “submit.” Voila, you can now create a TIMS account and receive or transfer a logbook. Congratulations, you can now own a car in Kenya.
If your details are not in the NTSA system, you’ll see a “person is not found. Please check the serial number” notification on the screen. You need to visit NTSA offices to have your details keyed in. The NTSA head office is in Upper Hill Chambers, 2nd Ngong Avenue, Nairobi, but you can find their agents in Huduma Centers across the country.
Ensure that the details on your alien ID match with those on your KRA PIN.
After having that sorted, you can start from Step 1 to register your account on the NTSA portal.
Now that the “hard” part is done, we go to the easy part- buying a car in Kenya.
What You Need To Know About Owning a Car in Kenya as a Diplomat
The Kenyan government allows diplomats to import vehicles duty free. If you’re coming to Kenya to work in any foreign embassy or consulate, the United Nations (UN) bodies such as UNEP and UNHCR, or an international non-governmental organization (NGO), then you can import a car without having to pay import duty on it. You should liaise with the protocol or liaison officer in your organization to confirm whether you’re eligible for duty exemption.
Some of the documents that will be required to register a duty-free car as a diplomat include:
- Alien ID
- A valid work permit
- Original diplomatic passport
- A copy of your KRA PIN certificate
- Original PRO1B Tax Exemption documents
- Original Vehicle Commercial Invoice (with details of make, model description, year of manufacture & engine Number)
- Bill of Lading
- Pre-shipment inspection certificate (Certificate of Conformity)
- Original Logbook from the country of importation (canceled from the country of origin. This will be required by NTSA to give you an original Kenyan Log Book)
- Diplomatic number plates & cover letter from Embassy / Organization with advice on specific registration number allocated
You can import up to two vehicles duty-free as a diplomat.
But if you prefer to buy a locally used car instead, you’ll need to have the registration plate commissioned and registered to your organization (members of the diplomatic community have distinct red plates with a specific number assigned to a country plus the letters CD for embassies, UN for UN missions, and KX for international NGOs).
Red Flags To Look Out for When Buying a Car
Buying a car in Kenya is a pretty straightforward affair. But it’s important to watch out for unscrupulous dealers looking to swindle you. These are some of the red flags you should look out for when buying a car:
1. No documents
If the seller doesn’t provide the proper documentation for the car, do not buy that car! Never ignore document verification.
The vehicle’s logbook should be in the seller’s name. If the logbook is in someone else’s name or the seller doesn’t have it, they may not have the legal right to sell the car. Besides the logbook, some of the documents you should ask for before buying a car include:
- Certificate of Inspection
- Import declaration form
- Auction sheet (for imported cars)
You can always do a vehicle search on the NTSA portal to ensure the logbook belongs to the seller and the details of the car are correct as captured by the NTSA.
2. Parts were tampered with
Every car comes with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). VIN is a unique seventeen-character serial number that includes numbers and letters. It’s the car’s fingerprints that help to identify not only the car’s place and date of manufacture but also its make, model, engine size, serial number, and other details unique to the car. VIN also helps to ensure that you get the correct spare parts when you have to replace faulty parts.
The VIN is usually found on the lower-left corner of your dashboard or the drivers-side door jamb. If the car’s VIN number is scratched out or covered up, that’s a very big red flag.
You should also watch out if other parts that normally have numbers or other identifying features are tampered with. It often signals that the car is stolen.
3. Service or repair history
A vehicle’s service and repair history can help in gauging a car’s performance after you purchase it. While getting access to a car’s repair history is standard practice in many countries, it isn’t very common in Kenya. But that shouldn’t worry you, we can help you inspect a car before you make payment for it. Reach out.
4. Pushy or sketchy sellers
You should also trust your gut instincts if a seller makes you uncomfortable. If the seller rushes you to complete the deal while being hesitant about providing documentation, service history, or arranging an inspection, you should walk away from the deal. It doesn’t matter how kind, friendly, or charming the seller seems. They may be appealing to your pathos, hoping to catch you off guard.
There are many other red flags to watch out for including pricing that’s way too low below the current market value. But these four are the major and most common ones you should watch out for.
Looking for Expert Advice Buying Your First Car in Kenya? We Can Help
You don’t have to go through the process of buying your first car in Kenya alone. We can help you! Built around the idea of transparent information sharing and quality locally used vehicles, Peach Cars has grown in the past two years to become one of the leading dealerships for buying locally used cars in Nairobi. We pride ourselves in giving our customers a 360-degree view of the car they’re buying so they can be able to make an informed decision. We are ready to answer all your questions and help you make a decision that you will be happy with.
