Finally Autochek officially opens in Kenya

As part of its pan-African development, Autochek, an automobile technology business that wants to streamline auto loans across Africa, has officially expanded its operations to Kenya. Autochek has named Bilhah Muriithi as the Country Manager to oversee the company’s operations in Kenya.

The move into the Kenyan market signals Autochek’s focus on building digital solutions that will increase market adoption for auto loan financing and drive partner prosperity for its core stakeholders, such as dealerships, garages, and financial institutions, having recently acquired automotive marketplaces Cheki Kenya and Cheki Uganda from ROAM Africa (Ringier One Africa Media).

Kenya, with a credit penetration rate of 27.5 percent and over 400,000 automobile sales per year, is positioned as a key auto financing hub in East Africa.

Through its finance partners such as NCBA Group, Caritas MFB, KKVL, Musoni, and Sidian, Autochek will use its 360-degree automotive solutions to provide vehicle financing and after-sales services.

Cheki Kenya’s operations are now fully linked with Autochek’s, and the company currently has over 12,000 unique automobiles listed on the Autochek app, as well as licensed new car manufacturers (Inchcape, CFAO Group, and CMC Motors) and used car dealers onboarded (Al Rahim, Autobox, Newton, Mombasa Khushi & Canon Motors).

Customers in Kenya can use Autochek’s partner network to get economical and expert maintenance services from standardized workshops (AutoXpress, Motor Consult, Kei Cars &) and insurance partners (PesaBazaar & MTEK) to keep their vehicles in good shape.

READ ALSO: How to turn off unwanted ‘memories’ in Apple Photos, Google Photos, and Facebook

“With a high credit penetration rate, Kenya is an interesting market for us to be expanding into,” Etop Ikpe, Founder and CEO of Autochek, said at the formal launch ceremony in Nairobi.

The Kenyan market offers us the chance to expand on what Cheki Kenya has accomplished over the last decade and develop technology solutions that will help Africa’s automotive industry grow.

“By adjusting and personalizing our solutions for diverse consumers, we’ve had significant success in our pilots.” We are happy to have Bilhah on board as we develop our operations in Kenya. We found Bilhah to be a strong leader with a solid background in finance and automotive, and he is well-equipped to lead the team in Kenya as we continue to extend our footprint across East Africa and beyond.”

Bilhah joins Autochek from NCBA BANK PLC, Digital Business, where she was the Business Manager for the Carduka portal, an online motor vehicle platform. She began her career at Cheki Kenya.

Bilhah has worked with digital brands in Kenya for over 9 years, honing her leadership skills.

Bilhah will be responsible for the overall management of the company, as well as expanding the marketplace by guaranteeing that Autochek has all mainstream vehicle dealers, all auto lenders, all automobile buyers, and all insurance and monitoring organizations.

“We foresee huge prospects in Kenya – not just for Autochek, but also for important stakeholders and customers,” Bilhah Muriithi said of her new post as Country Manager. We are able to provide excellent prospects for innovation by relocating to Kenya. I’m thrilled to be joining this incredibly motivated group of people who are dedicated to making a genuine difference throughout the continent.”

Representatives from key stakeholders, including Dr.(Eng) Joseph K.Njoroge, Principal Secretary, State Department of Transport, Major Kipchumba, Chair Kenya Car Bazaar, Hussein Ibrahim, MD, Inchcape, Andreata Muforo-TLCOM Capital, and Tony Voorhout, MD, Nissan Kenya, joined Bilhah, Etop, and the Autochek team at the launch event themed “Leveraging Financing to Facilitate Motorization Across Africa.”

Autochek, which will be launched in 2020 and is supported by TLcom Capital and 4DX Ventures, integrates technology with data analytics to expand vehicle loan penetration across Africa.

Autochek’s residual value algorithm allows it to pre-qualify consumers for financing and issue auto loans in as little as 48 hours using a single application process.

Autochek’s in-house digital solutions have allowed the platform to collaborate with over 68 financial institutions and establish a 1,000-strong dealer network in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.

All automobiles go through a 150-point check inspection process before being posted on the Autochek mobile app or website, which is now available on Android and the internet.