Police officers from the National Police Service attached to Migosi Police Station have recovered several suspected stolen vehicles during a targeted security operation in Kisumu, underscoring the ongoing fight against vehicle theft networks operating across the country.
Authorities confirmed that the vehicles were found at two separate homesteads during a police operation following intelligence reports linking the locations to suspected car theft. Two suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue.
Police say members of the public who may have recently lost vehicles should review the list of recovered cars and report to Migosi Police Station if they believe one of the vehicles belongs to them.
The vehicles recovered during the operation include:
KDE 662F – White Toyota Axio
KDJ 631G – Grey Toyota Fielder
KCY 973B – White Toyota Axio
KDC 692P – Grey Toyota Axio
KDG 157H – Grey Toyota Axio
KDB 485H – White Toyota Fielder
KDH 427F – Grey Toyota Axio
KCQ 238G – White Toyota Axio
KCM 385N – White Toyota Axio
KCH 950M – White Toyota Fielder
KCP 831E – Grey Toyota Fielder
During the search of one of the homesteads, officers also recovered several vehicle components and items believed to be linked to the alleged theft operation from a house associated with Michael Eric Mwaga. The items were seized and preserved as exhibits to support the ongoing investigation.
Among the recovered items were multiple car radios including Toyota, Pioneer and Sony units, assorted vehicle parts, a rear vehicle number plate KDC 629P that had been cut into four pieces, and a set of number plates KDG 157H believed to belong to one of the recovered vehicles.
Investigators suspect the items may have been used to alter the identities of stolen vehicles, a tactic commonly used by organized car theft syndicates. Criminal groups often dismantle stolen vehicles, swap registration plates, or modify parts before reselling them to unsuspecting buyers.
The latest recovery in Kisumu comes amid several similar police operations across Kenya targeting vehicle theft rings.
In recent months, police in Nairobi dismantled a suspected vehicle theft syndicate that specialized in stealing Toyota Axio and Toyota Fielder models before altering their chassis numbers and reselling them in neighboring counties. Several vehicles were recovered during that crackdown, while suspects were arraigned in court.
Another operation in Nakuru earlier this year led to the recovery of multiple stolen vehicles hidden in private compounds, where investigators found dismantled car parts believed to have been sourced from stolen vehicles across the Rift Valley region.
Authorities have also reported that cross-border trafficking of stolen vehicles remains a challenge, with some stolen cars believed to be smuggled to neighboring countries through informal border routes.
Police continue to urge motorists to remain vigilant and to verify ownership documents carefully when purchasing second-hand vehicles. Buyers are advised to conduct official searches through the National Transport and Safety Authority to confirm registration details and avoid acquiring vehicles linked to theft cases.
For now, police in Kisumu are asking anyone whose vehicle matches the recovered registration numbers to visit Migosi Police Station with proof of ownership to begin the verification and recovery process.
Investigations remain ongoing as authorities seek to determine whether the recovered vehicles are connected to a wider criminal network operating within the region.
