Private vehicle owners have condemned the government’s plan to impose a mandatory inspection for cars older than four years.
In a statement, the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK), a lobby group for private vehicle owners, argues that the inspection will squeeze car owners’ pockets when they are already battling tough economic challenges, including high fuel prices.
“Today’s private vehicles are manufactured to global standards, with advanced engineering that minimises mechanical failure. Private owners self-regulate far more effectively than any state inspector could,” MAK said.
“To insinuate otherwise is an insult to their intelligence and care. This draconian push for private inspections is nothing but a malicious intrusion into the lives of decent citizens, empowering corrupt officers to stop, extort, and harass families under the guise of road safety.”
In a gazette notice published recently, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced that vehicles above four years old will soon be subjected to mandatory inspection under a new legal framework aimed at improving road safety, reducing harmful emissions, and ensuring overall roadworthiness.
If enacted, it will affect commercial, school, and public service vehicles.
The directive seeks to establish a structured framework for the inspection of motor vehicles across the country, including pre-registration checks, post-accident evaluations, and inspections when changes are made to a vehicle’s registration details.
“As the Motorists Association of Kenya, we have repeatedly voiced our objections, only to be ignored by a government deaf to public participation and accountability. We will not stand by as motorists are cornered, bullied, and milked dry to fatten private pockets and sate an insatiable state,” MAK added.
“We demand an immediate halt to this illegal, immoral proposal. We call upon all patriotic legislators, civil society, and the motoring public to reject this travesty and defend their rights against this creeping tyranny. We’d like to point out that garage owners complicit in this scheme to withdraw before they are exposed and boycotted by the very people they seek to exploit.”
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