The market for new and reconditioned Japanese cars is huge in Kenya. However, with the growth of people’s interest in buying and selling automobile buying, a black-market for a stolen car is on the rise too. According to the 2017 Economic Survey, the year 2016 saw a 22% increase in the motor vehicle theft rate.
Your vehicle is most likely to be stolen if it is white, a Toyota, a station wagon and parked somewhere, latest data from the insurance industry shows.
The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) data covering last year also indicates that vehicles whose value is below Sh1 million are also likely to fall prey to theft more frequently than those priced above Sh1 million.
Silver, black, blue and grey vehicles, in that order, also made it to the list of cars frequently stolen while Green, red, gold, pearl, purple, orange and maroon vehicles were the least targeted.
Other manufacturers making to the list are Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Mercedes-Benz. However, the owners of Ford, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, and Volvo don’t need to worry that much because the thieves are less interested in them. On the other hand, stealing of Porsche or Range Rover is highly rare.
In 2015, the motor vehicle theft rate for Kenya was 2.4 cases per 100,000 population. Though Kenya motor vehicle theft rate fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through 2006 – 2015 period ending at 2.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2015.
Motor Vehicle Theft’ means the removal of a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner of the vehicle. ‘Motor Vehicles’ includes all land vehicles with an engine that runs on the road, including cars, motorcycles, buses, lorries, construction, and agricultural vehicles.(UN-CTS M4.4)
Flying Squad officers have unearthed a home in Ngong where stolen cars are dismantled and sold in parts or some parts changed and sold as whole to unsuspecting buyers.
The arrested four men; Zacharia Maina, Stephen Ndungu, Francis Karuthi, and James Kamau, who are suspected to be behind the car theft syndicate and subsequent dismantling and selling as spare parts to innocent car owners.
