Kenyans have been debating the meaning of the modification after seeing a video of a luxury Mercedes Benz that had been modified to resemble the pope’s car driving through Kenyan streets.
After being observed on a flatbed with the license plate KTW 110 on Wednesday, July 6, the in issue car sparked a discussion.
Victor Savwa, a mechanic from Lody Auto Garage, is the mastermind behind the motor design. He was entrusted with modifying the car to resemble the popemobile, which is exclusively used by the pope when making public appearances.
In a special interview with Kenyans.co.ke, Savwa said that the car belonged to a friend of his who is a Bohra Community member. In the early 2000s, his friend immigrated to Kenya from India and has been residing here ever since.
The automobile was abandoned when it was purchased, but his companion wanted to change the outside to honor their spiritual leader, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, who only seldom visited Kenya.
“In 2019, my friend came to me and had the idea of transforming it into a popemobile as a form of appreciation for the community spiritual leader who was set to tour the country at the time.”
“Their spiritual leader was set to travel to Mombasa for a one-week trip in July 2019, so my friend wanted the vehicle to be ready by the time he arrives,” he added.
Savwa and his team started the procedure by taking apart all the parts because they had been given a month to finish the car.
“I had to understand whether the vehicle could hold the modifications that we were going to put. The process included strong bars and four steel pillars as reinforcement,” he noted.
It was necessary for Savwa and his colleagues to fortify the floor by installing sturdy steel, installing pillars on the side mirrors to support the glass, and rewiring.
They searched for a plastic fiber glass with air conditioning options when it came to the glass.
Savwa was required to subcontract a business to import the leather from Italy for the seats. Metallic gold paint was applied to the external portion.
The tires, rims, and engine were the only components not modified, and the entire operation cost about Ksh1.5 million.
The Guru and one of his trusted aides are the only passengers the car can hold in addition to the driver. Mostly, the bodyguards follow the car to imitate Pope.
