FILE PHOTO | NMG 

Sales of new motor vehicles in April dropped to more than an 11-year low amid major contraction of economic activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic, setting up the industry for its worst year in recent history.

The April slump was enough to pull sales in the first four months of the year down 16 percent to 3,292 units compared to 3,923 units a year earlier.

The KMI statistics shows that tens of vehicle models registered zero sales in April this year while the major brands including Isuzu, Toyota and Mitsubishi suffered reduction in orders of up to 61.5 percent.

Ms Rita Kavashe, the CEO of Isuzu East Africa, recently told the Business Daily that the formal dealers were bracing themselves for a sales slump of up to 30 percent this year.

Unit sales of Isuzu commercial vehicles fell by the largest margin of 61.5 percent among the major dealers to 179 in April compared to 466 in the same month last year.