The catalytic converter is a ‘metal box’ found under your car between the engine and the muffler as a part of the exhaust system. Its primary role is to clean up the harmful gas emissions produced when the vehicle runs, turning them into harmless gases such as Co2 and water vapor.
To do this, the catalytic converter uses chemicals called catalysts. These catalysts are coated on the converters’ honeycomb’ interior. Their job is to break down the molecular structure of the harmful gases being released by the engine, thus ‘cleaning’ them up as they are released into the atmosphere.
If you wonder why this clean-up is necessary, think of Limuru on a cold, foggy morning. Now imagine Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and other major cities filled with such fog, only this time its pollution being emitted by cars. This kind of smog would quickly become harmful to man and the environment.
Why do thieves steal the catalytic converter?
This brings us to the problem. Remember the catalysts that are used to breakdown harmful gasses? They not your ordinary catalysts but precious metals such as palladium, rhodium and platinum. Imagine that. As stricter car emissions are rolled out worldwide, the demand for these metals has gone up, and so have the prices.
Five years ago, 28g of palladium cost $500. In 2021 it has jumped to $2000-2500, higher than the price of gold. Rhodium is estimated to be retailing at 12 times the price of gold. While this jump in prices can be attributed to the increased production of electric cars, it is nevertheless fueling a vibrant black market of stolen catalytic converters.
The COVID 19 pandemic has not helped matters either. Rhodium is mainly mined in South Africa, and with the pandemic slowing everything down, supply has gone down, raising demand.
Of course, if your catalytic converter is stolen in Nairobi or Mombasa, it is likely to be sold to a scrap yard for much less than its worth.