Kenya has expressed strong opposition after the East African Community (EAC) decided to postpone the enforcement of newly agreed motor vehicle and motorcycle assembly regulations across the region for one full year.
Regional trade ministers agreed to delay the implementation of strict manufacturing standards intended to promote local content in regional vehicle plants.
Government authorities in Nairobi had pushed to implement the framework immediately, aiming to strengthen domestic industrial capacity and protect investments made in local automotive operations.
Under the disputed regulations, vehicle assemblers within member states must meet minimum threshold percentages for locally sourced components to qualify for preferential tax tariffs.
However, several member states requested additional time to align their domestic manufacturing infrastructure with the regional standards, leading to the overall delay.
Representatives from local manufacturing associations have previously raised concerns over premature delays, noting that postponement creates policy uncertainty for investors in heavy manufacturing and infrastructure equipment assembly.
The East African Community (EAC) secretariat confirmed that the one-year extension will allow partner states to address capacity gaps and finalize national administrative frameworks needed to enforce the harmonized rules.