Workers at the Associated Vehicle Assemblers plant. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NMG
Global automaker Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicles has started
assembling two new truck models in Kenya in a Sh2 billion investment.
The
Daewoo Novas tipper and prime mover will be produced at the Associated
Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) plant in Miritini, Mombasa.
Tata
Daewoo Commercial vehicle president and CEO Kim Kwan-Kju and Tata
International executive director Nareesh Leekha attended the launch of
the new assemblies.
Mr Leekha said the decision to
assembled the vehicles in Kenya was informed by the need to meet
increasing demand for Daewoo trucks.
He said the demand for Daewoo trucks is supported by both the construction and transport sectors.
The decision, he added, was also swayed by various incentives offered by foreign firms that assemble their vehicles locally.
“This is one of our biggest investments (in Africa) after South Africa,” said Mr Leekha.
The vehicles will be available for the local market and for export to neighbouring countries.
The plant is currently assembling 54 vehicles- six tippers and 48 prime movers.
“Our
plan is to achieve 100 per cent of vehicle assembly to be here in the
near future. We are currently in the process of assembling Daewoo buses
and the first fleet will be out in the next six months,” said Mr
Leekha.
Mr Kwan-Kju said the launch of the assembly
line marked an important turn in the company’s expansion in the Kenyan
market. More than 20,000 Daewoo trucks are operating in 40 countries,
with Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Algeria being the leading
markets, according to the automaker.
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