This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) filed a court petition against Toyota Kenya, alleging that the company modified its Hino buses without following the right procedures.
The consumer lobby claims that Toyota Kenya modified its 28-seater Hino 300 buses into 33-seaters, making them heavier than the chassis, which has led to accidents and breakdowns.
Cofek argues that a number of its members have been affected and that it notified Toyota Kenya last November that there were many other vehicle owners who had similar complaints about the malfunctioning Hino buses.
“Toyota Kenya Ltd is purporting to pass responsibility of the defective vehicles to members of the public by selling a vehicle with a modified chassis which they claim is originally 33-seater bus,” Cofek stated in court papers.
Toyota Kenya, however, wants the case struck out, saying Cofek lacks the legal capacity to institute the case and that the case does not disclose a constitutional law issue.
