Trade CS Peter Munya has said the Government will not go back on a directive banning importation of 17 categories of second-hand car parts.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has already started enforcing the ban.
Defending the directive in Mombasa yesterday, Munya said the ban only targeted certain spare parts that cannot be used second hand.
However, spare parts dealers said the ban will affect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Kenyans who depend on the industry.
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They said many traders cannot afford to start brand new spare parts’ shops because of the enormous capital required.
However, Munya said the dealers were not sincere in their complaints and were only interested in making more profits instead of public safety.
“There is no way you can use a brake pad that is used. You use it and obviously your car will lose brakes and plunge into the river. If you allow brake pads that have been used to come into our country, you know the consequences,” he said.
House committee
Munya spoke after meeting the National Assembly Trade and Industry Committee.
“Accidents on our roads are happening because we have allowed used spare parts in vehicles used in public transport,” he said.
He said apart from brake pads, the ban also targeted used crash plates that compromised motorists’ safety.
“You cannot afford to use old ones because they won’t work. Brakes will fail on the roads and then people will die,” he said.
In a notice sent out to pre-shipment cargo inspectors, Kebs has specified 17 categories of second-hand spare parts that are banned.
The ban is part of the Government’s plan to gradually phase out second-hand vehicles and create demand for new, locally assembled vehicles.
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Trade CS Peter MunyaSecond Hand Car PartsKenya Bureau of StandardsGovernment Directive
