Report Unveils the Most Stolen Car Brands and Models in Kenya
A recent report has shown a concerning increase in car thefts throughout Kenya. Cars with license plates starting with “KD” are being stolen the most. If you drive a Toyota, your chance of your car being stolen becomes much higher.
The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) report indicates that half of all cars taken in 2024 had plates starting with “KD.” In total, 327 cars were reported stolen, which is less than the 419 stolen in 2023.
“Cars with license plates beginning with ‘KD’ were stolen the most (50.15 percent), then ‘KC’ (35.17 percent), ‘KB’ (10.40 percent), and ‘KA’ (1.83 percent),” the report says.
Toyota is still the brand stolen most often, making up 54.91 percent of reported cases. Other brands taken frequently include Isuzu (12.88 percent), Mazda (7.06 percent), Nissan (5.83 percent), and Mitsubishi (3.99 percent). The data also shows that Kenyans who drive station wagons, like the Toyota Fielder and Subaru Outback, are at the greatest risk, with these cars making up 67.80 percent of theft cases.
Other car types that are targeted are trucks (11.46 percent), sedans (6.81 percent), and pickups (3.72 percent).
The report also points out that car color matters in theft trends. White cars were stolen the most (39.80 percent), then silver (16.72 percent) and black (15.38 percent).
In terms of value, most cars stolen were insured for less than Ksh1 million. Cars valued between Ksh1 million and Ksh2 million made up 26.07 percent of thefts, while those over Ksh3 million made up 27.3 percent.
The most valuable car stolen in 2024 was a Mitsubishi truck worth Ksh12.2 million.
“Theft of car parts is still the most common type of reported incident at 54.28 percent. Cars stolen while parked made up 31.91 percent, and hijackings made up 7.24 percent,” the report states.
Even though the number of stolen cars has decreased, the number of cars recovered is still low. Only 15.92 percent of stolen cars were found in 2024, but this is better than the 11.72 percent recovery rate in 2023.
“This information is put into AKI’s Insurance Motor Database System (IMIDS) to warn insurance companies before they issue insurance for cars reported stolen,” the insurers said.
The National Police Service (NPS) says that car thefts are still a big safety issue, with 1,687 cases reported in 2023, up from 1,459 in 2022.
The police advise car owners to improve their car security and be alert, especially those who own cars that are often stolen.
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Report Unveils the Most Stolen Car Brands and Models in Kenya