Japanese used car

There is nothing as useful to a North American as a car. It is the modern technological marvel that makes the fast-paced and stressful life - rife with toxic racism and discrimination in housing, employment and social life - manageable, especially to new immigrants who have to make do with menial jobs and dilapidated housing.

One of the significant changes Kenyans who emigrate to North America undergo is to rely on the car just as much as their Caucasian, Latino, Chinese, African-American or native of the region. Almost invariably, they shop, go to restaurants or cinema in cars.

When a Kenyan who has lived in North America decides to return home, the first thing he thinks about is how he would cope with commuting in the hustle and bustle of Nairobi.

For those who have bought or plan to acquire property in leafy suburbs such as Karen, Runda or contemplate commuting from Kiambu, importing a second-hand mechanical workhorse from North America comes to work.

The problem is: All vehicles in North America are left-hand drive. Moreover, Kenyans returning from North America cannot import a right-hand drive vehicle from the UK, Japan or Australia because they must have owned it for a minimum of 12 months. In addition, all vehicle imports must be less than eight years old from the date of manufacture.

It is not possible for an ordinary person who has spent the past 12 years breaking his back at McDonald’s to travel to Europe, buy a brand new vehicle, own it for a year, export it to North America and stay with it for the same length of time before shipping it to Kenya.

Essentially, what this means is that people who have just completed their studies or been doing menial jobs at MacDonald’s cannot return to Kenya with vehicles. Their option is to, therefore, use their meagre savings to buy exorbitantly priced vehicles in Kenya. Their prices are two to four times more than their fair market value in Europe or North America.

Theoretically, the prohibitive rules were introduced to “protect Kenyans and their environment” from sub-standard, dangerous, poisonous and impractical goods, chemicals or equipment.

The dumping of dangerous goods in our market is not just economically and environmentally catastrophic, but it has also killed creativity, innovation and scientific invention of our people.

The fact that Kenya has not been able to produce even a rudimentary vehicular engine locally is very sad.

The rules were also intended to protect the Kenyan market and car dealers from “flooding", unfair competition as well as to encourage and protect domestic entrepreneurs.

On the surface, the requirements appear sound and uncontroversial. However, they are punitive. They mean that Kenyans in North America cannot buy a used Japanese vehicle - one manufactured in 2003 - and import it to Kenya duty free because there are no used right hand drive vehicles in Japan.

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