Mahindra & Mahindra today announced the market launch of its locally assembled pick-ups in Kenya, in collaboration with the Simba Corporation, one of the country’s most successful indigenous commercial organisations with a rich heritage in motor vehicle sales and service. Together, the two companies aim to offer commercial and passenger vehicles to their Kenyan customers.
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya drives the the assembled-in-Kenya Mahindra pick-up. (Image: Nyanza Traffic/Twitter)
The locally assembled pick-ups (Mahindra Scorpio single- and double-cab), which are custom built for the Kenyan terrain and assembled at the Associated Vehicle Assembly (AVA Kenya) plant in Mombasa, were unveiled by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who called upon the KRA Treasury to consider reducing taxes on vehicles assembled in Kenya.
According to Arvind Mathew, Chief of International Operations, Mahindra & Mahindra, “The launch of these locally assembled pick-ups is a significant step forward for Mahindra in the Kenyan market. Kenya is a key strategic market for us and we are now fully equipped to deliver products customised to meet local needs, on time. I would like to thank the Government of Kenya for their support and am sure that this initiative will help drive significant employment generation in the country.”
“Simba Corporation has its roots here, a fully Kenyan-owned company operating for more than 50 year. We, together with our partners Mahindra & Mahindra, are keen on supporting the government’s implementation of the ‘Buy Kenya Build Kenya’ initiative which is intended to realise a bigger contribution by the manufacturing sector to the national economy,” said Adil Popat, executive chairman, Simba Corporation.
“With the government increasingly creating favorable conditions for assemblers, motor vehicle dealers' preference for local assembly is expected to grow leading to job creation, the growth of skills and ultimately spur economic growth,” added Popat.
Mahindra’s foray into Kenya, an important market in East Africa, will further strengthen the company’s presence in the region. Going forward, Mahindra plans to further expand its network in this region.