The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has issued a public notice outlining the requirements for buyers seeking to register police-auctioned vehicles. This follows strict enforcement of KS 1515:2000 – Kenya Standard Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles, which prohibits the registration of vehicles that are more than eight years old from the date of first registration. However, KEBS has indicated that a waiver on the age limit may be granted under specific conditions.
According to KEBS, police-auctioned vehicles that are in the custody of law enforcement agencies and have not been claimed can qualify for an age-limit waiver, provided they meet the necessary criteria. The bureau will then recommend the waiver to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry for final approval.
“KEBS will only consider and recommend to the Cabinet Secretary a waiver of the age limit for police-auctioned vehicles that meet the specified requirements,” the notice stated.
For a vehicle to be considered for the waiver, the buyer must provide a waiver application letter, a multi-agency pre-auction report, and a Gazette Notice from the National Police Service, clearly indicating which vehicles are approved for road use and which are designated for scrapping. Additional documents required include a court order authorizing the auction, the license of the auctioneer, a certificate of sale, a tape lift report from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and Interpol clearance.
These measures, KEBS emphasizes, are aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing fraudulent transactions in the resale of police-auctioned vehicles.
The bureau has also urged buyers to verify the authenticity of KEBS quality marks before making a purchase. This can be done through the KEBS mobile app or by sending an SMS with the permit number to 20023.
