Kenya's local automotive industry primarily assembles, retails, and distributes motor vehicles. It is a relatively established sector with at least 11 major dealers today, with a history dating back to the 1960s, when the Volkswagen Beetle was locally assembled.
Successive governments have been keen to grow the sector, actively working with the private sector to boost the automotive industry, aiming to increase local production, reduce reliance on imported used vehicles and create jobs. However, 85 per cent of vehicles on the Kenyan roads are still imported second-hand cars.
