MP calls for tough car import laws

Wilberforce Ottichillo

Government has been urged to review laws on importation of motor vehicles. Emuhaya MP Wilbur Ottichilo (pictured) now wants the State to limit the years a motor vehicle can be used on local roads.

The Parliamentary Environment Committee member says stringent regulations will eliminate cartels and graft between local players and clearing entities abroad, who collude to import vehicles that pose threat to the health and safety of Kenyans.

He claimed that illegal importation of old cars has led to rising cancer cases, warning that the move to allow vehicles on the road for more than 20 years has to be revised if cancer cases have to be reduced. “That smoke you see being emitted by old cars is poison. It contains carcinogenic elements that give rise to cell mutations which lead to tumour growth and cancer. Every time you breathe, you inhale some. When they get to toxic levels, your cells mutate. They lose normal growth pattern and that’s where trouble starts,” he explains.

Ottichilo warned that cars beyond eight years are hardly allowed in most of European countries. “When you import a car that had been used abroad, it looks new to many people. Why would they be willing to sell an almost new car for a cheaper price?” he posed.  “It is a disposal mechanism because after sometime, that car starts to pollute the environment.This is the reason many countries have tough laws on usage of motor vehicles.”

Four vehicles that had been detained at Mombasa port for allegedly being contaminated with radiation material have since been sent back to the country of origin. “The containers were repatriated back to Japan on March 24, 2014. Normally, before vehicle units are imported, they are inspected by three firms in Japan on behalf of Kebs: Jevic, quality inspection services of Japan (QISJ) and Auto Terminal,” said Kenya Ports Authority head of security Major (rtd) Mohammed Morowa.

Agencies are probing circumstances under which contaminated vehicles were cleared for importation against the law. “Even after that consignment, we have seized other vehicles with the same problem,” said Principal Radiation Protection Officer Nixon Mdachi. Also being investigated are cars beyond eight years.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Matemo Mumo said he could not comment on the matter because investigations are still on-going. Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro had promised to provide details of the progress of investigations but The Standard on Sunday learnt he had since flown out of the country and by the time of going to press, no information had been provided.