Nairobi, July 28 -- The High Court has barred the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) from impounding unregistered imported vehicles held by used-car dealers, handing a major relief to the traders.

The court, however, upheld the legal requirement that imported vehicles be registered before sale. It ordered the NTSA to give a fresh notice of at least 60 days to the dealers before enforcing the 2024 rules. The court found the NTSA's earlier seven-day compliance deadline was procedurally unfair.

The ruling followed a petition by the Car Importers Association of Kenya (CIAK) challenging NTSA's December 2024 directive requiring dealers to register imported vehicles before sale or risk impoundment and prosecution.

The association ...