Honda rekindles its romance with Kenya after 7 years

By Jackson Okoth

Japanese auto maker Honda has announced plans to put up a showroom facility in Nairobi, marking its return to this market after a seven-year absence.

 All its models will be shipped from Dubai and South Africa, with officials indicating no immediate plans to open up an assembly plant here yet.

“We shall keep this option open and react when it makes sense to put up an assembly plant here. When there is sufficient demand, we shall also consider direct shipments into Mombasa from other plants located elsewhere,” said Graham Eagle, Director-Sales and Marketing, Honda Motor Southern Africa Ltd.

Honda’s comeback into Kenya offers it an opportunity to penetrate the East Africa car market, now dominated by General Motors East Africa (GMEA) and Toyota Corporation.

“After the devastating effects of Tsunami and flooding of our tyre facility, we hope that worldwide sales for Honda will improve. Our share of the African car market is still small, at 20,000 units per year, but it is growing,” said Eagle. The best performing segments remain the SUV’s and heavy commercial vehicles while sales of new saloons have been the worst hit by reconditioned vehicles.

While Honda recently begun a recall of its CR-V models from the US market, it has maintained that this will not affect its business in Kenya.

The firm’s automotive facility will be located on Mombasa Road.

The facility is undergoing an upgrade and is expected to be ready within the first four months of next year.

This dealership will be operated in partnership with TransAfrica Motors (TAM), a Dubai-based industrial conglomerate with a wide range of interests, including four commercial vehicle dealerships in Kenya.

Latest models

 TAM will run the Honda dealership as a separate division within the company. 

The new facility will offer customers access to a wide range of Honda’s latest and most advanced vehicles, including the soon-to-be-launched Brio entry-level compact hatchback, the new-generation Honda CR-V, and the aspirational Accord luxury sedan.

“Our return to Kenya is an important step in our strategy of expansion, which has already seen the opening of our East Africa representative office in Nairobi,” said Eagle.

Honda Motor Southern Africa, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, will provide product and parts, train staff and install operating systems.