Sales of new motor vehicles have started recovering from the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic following the gradual reopening of the economy.
Travel restriction and the panic triggered by the pandemic saw orders plummet to a low of 568 units in May.
Save have, however, risen steadily to reach 1,044 units last month and nearly matched the peak of 1,049 units in February.
According to the Data from Kenya Motor Industry Association (KMI), orders in the eight months ended August is below 26.3 percent but the downward trend has been reversed.
Car dealers including Toyota Kenya, Simba Corporation, and Isuzu East Africa sold a total of 6,580 units within the same period compared to 8,940 units last year.
“Reopening of the economy is a major factor for the rebound in sales,” said Rita Kavashe, the chief executive of Isuzu East Africa as reported by Nation.
May registered the sales contraction of 54.4 percent but the decline rate has been reduced to 23.9 percent in August.
The government imposed restrictions on both domestic and international travel to control the pandemic which was first reported in the country on March 12.
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The government had however started removing the restriction beginning July with the number of infections and deaths from the disease steadily declining.
Kavashe said the demand from transport operators and schools were hit the hardest during the lockdown period while sales of heavy commercial vehicles like tippers remained strong.
She also noted that commercial lenders had significantly cut back lending on the outbreak of the virus but have since resumed financing of vehicle purchases.
