The government has moved to seize four vehicles after the High Court in Nairobi issued preservation orders in a case involving suspected proceeds of crime and money laundering.
The court order means the vehicles cannot be sold, transferred, or used as security while the case is being pursued.
The move was initiated by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), which is seeking to preserve the property as investigations and recovery proceedings continue.
The vehicles named in the court order include a Mercedes-Benz C180, Toyota Corolla Axio, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Nissan Dayz.
The court directed that their logbooks or registration certificates be surrendered to the ARA within seven days after the order is served.
This is intended to prevent the vehicles from being secretly transferred or otherwise disposed of before the matter is determined.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) was also ordered to place caveats on the vehicle records.
The restrictions mean that the owners cannot freely conduct transactions involving the vehicles through the official registration system.Police officers were separately authorised to seize the cars and hand them over to the ARA for safekeeping and management.
The court further appointed the ARA Director General as the manager of the vehicles.
The orders were issued under Kenya’s Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act after the agency filed an urgent application on July 28, 2026.
The matter was initially heard without the other parties being present, with the court treating it as urgent.
Importantly, the preservation orders do not mean that the owners have been found guilty of money laundering or that the vehicles have been finally declared proceeds of crime.
Instead, the court has temporarily frozen the assets to prevent their disposal while the recovery case proceeds.
Anyone who disobeys the orders could face contempt of court proceedings.
Leave feedback about this