WHY CAR PRICES HAVE GONE UP DRAMATICALLY IN KENYA AND JAPAN

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Today, I want to give you a free advice, especially if you want to own a car in Kenya.

[00:00:07]I can tell you that the journey of owning a car in Kenya has not even started to be difficult. It will be more difficult than we think because of two things. Uh in the last 2 months, we complained so much about the increased tax for regular vehicles that most Kenyans buy, especially the small cars for business. Small cars like Nissan Note e-Power, like Mazda Demio, like Mazda 2, like Suzuki Altos. All those cars, they suffered heavy increase in tax. Right now, as we speak, there is a Suzuki Alto that I imported for around um for around 600,000. Right now, you cannot import a quality Suzuki Alto below 700K.

[00:00:53]What are Kenyans going to do, especially those who are in taxi business?

[00:00:57]Also, something else. Those are local factors. Let me also tell you, I don't know whether the government of Kenya is in discussion with the government of Japan or the auction people in Japan, the prices of vehicles in Japan right now have gone high to a point whereby I don't know, but I will give you an explanation. You see, for instance, the vehicle you are seeing behind me here.

[00:01:22]Okay, when I was importing it, I bought it for around 13,000 uh USD. Okay, that was 6 months ago. Right now, you cannot get a car of the same quality with 13,000 USD. You are getting it for around 15,000 US dollars, an increase of around 200,000 Kenya shillings. This vehicle right now, you know, if you want a Mazda 6 5 grade 4.5 and above with mileage below 30,000, because this one I got it at around 20,000 km, you will need to cough $15,000, and that is the money to buy the car and ship it to Mombasa before you pay tax, which will make you a total cost of, let's say, a car like this one, okay, to be around um 2.8 there, okay? While me, I got it at around 2.6 something, close to 2.7. So, you see that is a huge increase. And I will give you examples. There are people who have already told me to look for them Mazda CX-5 petrol, and I can tell you the budget that I got mine with, you cannot get it right now. That is the first example. The The second [clears throat] example is Mazda Demio, and I don't know what is happening with Mazda petrol. Mazda petrol cars are becoming extremely expensive. The only car that is not very expensive, it is the 2.5 L petrol because I think it is not very fuel-efficient, and then with a 2.5 L non-turbo, sometimes fuel efficiency is not achieved. So, it is not very top-selling. But if you're going for Axela petrol, if you're going for Mazda Demio petrol, if you're going a CX-5 petrol 2 L, then be prepared for price increase.

[00:03:11]Right now, I was telling you, there is a guy that told me to look for him a Mazda 2 petrol, and it has been now 3 weeks.

[00:03:18]We have not been able to get something that can get into Kenya with a budget of less than 3 uh 1.5 million. It is coming to around 1.6, okay? And I'm wondering, these people who are importing this Mazda Mazda 2 petrol and they are selling them at 1.3, it can only make sense if they cleared that car with the previous duty, okay? And it is cutting across. So, if you are there sitting waiting for the car prices to come down, you will be in for a very, very long wait. Let me tell you guys for free, the best time to start your car buying process, it is right now before things get tougher. I feel like this government might hit again on the taxes if we are not careful, especially on these Mazdas that people are buying so much, okay? Um and also uh you know, um the fuel prices are also going up. So, I was told, you know, this ship that we used to these vessels that we used to ship these cars, they also mostly run on coal and diesel and those kind of stuff. So, the shipping cost might also be going up and for that reason the these small cars that we were used to ship at around 600, right now you can't get anything below that 600. And so many things that are happening around. So, just from my experience, guys, what I'm trying to tell you is that if you are waiting for anything to buy a car, just know that you are actually not buying time, but you are just wasting time because you might end up paying more expensive than what you could have paid a few months ago. And the evidence to all this, just look for someone who is selling their car.

[00:05:10]Okay? Anybody who bought um let's say their cars 1 year or 2 years ago, right now they are selling those vehicles at almost the same price that they bought those cars or even at a profit. Why?

[00:05:24]Because the prices of cars are increasing at a very, very high speed.

[00:05:30]This car, I tell you, if I sell it after 3 years, I might sell it at 2.8. Believe me or not, because in the next 3 years, this car probably will be sold in Kenya at around 4 million. That is what I can tell you. And I saw someone selling their KDM uh Subaru Forester KDM. Actually, he was advertising it for 3.3 million. And I know someone will buy it. And 3 years ago, a Subaru Forester, maybe it was being bought at around 3 million, okay?

[00:06:01]Or maybe 2.9, somewhere there. So, why people are selling vehicles used vehicles at a profit, it's because price increase on cars is happening at a very, very high speed. Even before you realize the price of cars almost doubles. I told you that this car, since the time I bought it, price has gone up by around 260,000.

[00:06:24]So, if you want to get a similar vehicle, you you might get a better deal buying a locally used vehicle but than buying a brand new. So, I don't know what you guys think, but that is my advice for today. That if you're planning to buy, go for it right now. Don't don't wait for a long time. Otherwise, the more you wait, the more you will pay.

[00:06:48]Sawa. So, hit my number there.

[00:06:51]Let me just ensure I have locked the car.

[00:06:55]So, hit my number there and I will be able to to help you in this journey.

[00:07:01]A lot of vehicles are coming.

[00:07:03]A Mazda CX-5 is on the way.

[00:07:07]A grade five, something that we have never seen before.

[00:07:11]A Mazda CX-5 grade five. There is a VW Tiguan already cleared in Mombasa. The client went to pick it, so he will not be um uh receiving it in Nairobi with our courier services, but he decided to go and drive because a VW Tiguan is a big car. So, he wanted to test the road from Mombasa to Nairobi. And then, there is a Nissan Note Medallist that is being cleared. And then, the last one is a Nissan No, is a um Suzuki Alto, okay? 45,000 km. It will also be arriving next week. So, next week expect three videos, VW Tiguan, Nissan Note Medalist, and Suzuki Alto.

[00:07:54]And then from there, other vehicles are on the way. A lot of them, and we are still adding more. So, don't be left behind.

[00:08:03]Export Imports is your plug for all these nice deals.

[00:08:07]You save money and you get a better vehicle.