Firm to assemble VW cars in Thika
Motor dealer DT Dobie is set to start assembling Volkswagen vehicles, including light trucks, at the Thika-based Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant in which it has a 32.5 per cent stake. PHOTO| FILE| NATION
What you need to know:
- The company, which took over the VW franchise from CMC Holdings, has been importing the German vehicles fully built from markets such as South Africa.
- Among the VW models to be assembled are light trucks and the Vivo — a passenger car that will be the first to be put together locally.
Motor dealer DT Dobie is set to start assembling Volkswagen vehicles, including light trucks, at the Thika-based Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant in which it has a 32.5 per cent stake.
The company, which took over the VW franchise from CMC Holdings, has been importing the German vehicles fully built from markets such as South Africa.
Volkswagen South Africa CEO Thomas Schafer said the German multinational will later this year start assembling some of its models in Thika, having stopped local assembly in the 1970s.
“We were in Kenya in the 1960s and 1970s and resuming operations here is part of our Africa strategy,” Mr Schafer said in a statement.
The Volkswagen Group is excited to be here and we will start operations immediately.”
Motor dealer DT Dobie has been importing the German vehicles fully built from markets such as South Africa. PHOTO | FILE
Mr Schafer signed an agreement with President Uhuru Kenyatta to launch VW’s local assembly at the Thika plant where the government has a 35 per cent stake.
The other shareholder in the plant is CMC Holdings whose equity is 32.5 per cent.
Among the VW models to be assembled are light trucks and the Vivo — a passenger car that will be the first to be put together locally.
“I am happy to welcome back the Volkswagen Group, currently the largest car manufacturer in the world, back to Kenya,” Mr Kenyatta said in a statement.
