How to Buy a Used Car in Kenya, Step by Step

1. Set the whole budget, not just the price

The asking price is only part of what it costs to buy a used car in Kenya. Before you start looking, add up the rest:

• Insurance in your name before you drive away. Third-party cover is the legal minimum; comprehensive costs more but covers your own car.
• The NTSA transfer fee, which depends on engine capacity. Agree in the sale agreement who pays it.
• A mechanic's inspection before you pay.
• A first service: oil, filters and anything the inspection found, such as tyres or brake pads.

If you're borrowing, banks and SACCOs offer car loans and asset finance, and some dealers sell on hire purchase. With all of these the lender is registered on the car's logbook until you've paid. A logbook loan is different: it's a loan against a car you already own, and it's an expensive way to fund the purchase of another.

2. Foreign used or Kenyan used?

Neither is automatically better. A well-kept Kenyan used car with service records can be a safer buy than a foreign used one with an unknown past. Many car listings on Shopi say which it is under the car's condition.

3. Where to find one

• Private owners, through online listings and personal networks. Often the best price, and the owner can tell you the car's history, but you do every check yourself.
• Car yards and dealers. More choice in one place and sometimes a short warranty, at a higher price.
• Importers, for foreign used cars ordered to your specification. Allow time for shipping and clearing.
• Bank and auctioneer sales of repossessed cars. They can be cheap, but you'll need an NTSA alternative transfer afterwards.

On Shopi you message the owner or seller directly and agree the viewing between you, with no broker in between. Compare a few used cars for sale of the same model and year before you judge any one price.

4. Check the paperwork, then the car

• The seller's name on the logbook matches their national ID. Scan the e-Logbook's QR code, or run a search on eCitizen, yourself.
• No bank, SACCO or logbook lender is on the record, and there's no caveat on the car.
• The chassis number on the car matches the logbook.
• A mechanic you trust has inspected it.
• A test drive of at least 15 minutes, including a rough road, shows no gearbox, brake or suspension problems.

The full checklist, from paint and panel gaps to warning lights, is in how to check a used car before buying.

How to avoid being conned

• A deposit to "hold" a car you haven't seen. It's one of the oldest car scams there is. Pay nothing until you've seen the car and its logbook.
• A price far below similar cars, with a story about an urgent move or a family emergency.
• "The owner is upcountry." You're dealing with someone who can't produce the owner or the logbook.
• A logbook that's "being processed", or in another person's name.
• A screenshot of an e-Logbook. Check it yourself through its QR code or eCitizen; a screenshot proves nothing.
• A "transfer fee" to a personal number. NTSA fees are paid through eCitizen only.
• Refusing a mechanic, or showing the car only at night or in the rain.

The Shopi safety centre has more on meeting sellers and paying safely.

5. Sign, pay and transfer

1. Agree the price, using what the inspection found to negotiate.
2. Sign a car sale agreement with both parties' ID numbers and KRA PINs, the car's registration, chassis and engine numbers, the price and the handover time.
3. Pay by bank transfer, ideally together at the bank so the seller can confirm it's arrived.
4. The seller starts the transfer on the NTSA service portal in eCitizen; you accept it from your notifications.
5. Insure the car in your name before you drive it away.

Used cars on Shopi now

Have a model in mind? The Toyota Vitz price guide shows what moves one model's price, and Toyota Axio and Toyota Fielder listings are good places to compare.