Kenya's new car sales jump 15 percent in first 10 months

Sales of light commercial trucks helped push new vehicle sales in Kenya to 16,711 units in the first 10 months of 2015, 15 percent higher than in the same period last year, the head of the industry's association said on Tuesday.

Rita Kavashe, the chairman of the Kenya Motor Industry Association, told Reuters sales of light trucks used to distribute goods and ferry construction materials had grown by 25-30 percent from a year before.

"The distribution and construction side of the economy is booming, driving demand of the medium, light duty trucks," she said by telephone.

Heavy duty trucks, used for long distance haulage of goods, including into neighbouring countries from the port of Mombasa, was also growing by double digits, Kavashe said.

The luxury car segment, which is dominated by second-hand imports, grew at a more sluggish pace, Kavashe said, attaining a growth rate of 1.5 percent, accounting for 2,000 of the units sold during the period.