Court Orders Seizure of Four Vehicles in Suspected Money Laundering Case
Four vehicles have been placed under a court-ordered freeze after Kenya’s Assets Recovery Agency moved to preserve property allegedly linked to suspected proceeds of crime and money laundering.
The High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division in Nairobi has issued preservation orders restricting any dealings involving the vehicles as authorities pursue further proceedings in the case.
The vehicles named in the orders are a Mercedes-Benz C180, Toyota Corolla Axio, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Nissan Dayz.
Under the orders, the owners or respondents were directed to surrender the vehicles’ logbooks or registration certificates to the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) within seven days of being served with the court order.
An order cited in the case directed the respondents to hand over the registration documents to the ARA Director General or an officer appointed by the Director General within the specified period.
The court also directed the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to enter caveats against the respective vehicle registers.
The caveats effectively restrict transactions involving the vehicles, meaning they cannot be freely sold, transferred or otherwise dealt with through the official registration system while the preservation orders remain in force.
Police authorised to seize vehicles
The court further appointed the ARA Director General as the manager of the vehicles, giving the agency authority to take control of, administer and safeguard the property.
Police officers were separately authorised to seize and take possession of the four vehicles and hand them over to the Assets Recovery Agency for safekeeping, storage and management.
The measures form part of the agency’s efforts to preserve assets that it suspects could be connected to proceeds of crime while the legal process continues.
The orders were issued under Kenya’s Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA), which provides mechanisms for restricting dealings in property suspected to have been acquired through unlawful activities.
Case certified urgent
The matter was certified as urgent and was initially heard ex parte, after the Assets Recovery Agency filed an Originating Motion dated July 28, 2026, under a Certificate of Urgency.
The preservation orders are designed to prevent the assets from being disposed of, transferred or otherwise dealt with before the court can determine the issues raised in the recovery proceedings.
The court’s intervention therefore means the four vehicles are effectively frozen pending further proceedings.
However, the orders should not be interpreted as a final determination that the vehicles are proceeds of crime.
Similarly, the preservation of the vehicles does not by itself establish that any individual connected to them has been convicted of money laundering or another criminal offence.
Instead, the orders are intended to preserve the property while the Assets Recovery Agency pursues the case and seeks further directions from the court.
The order also contains a penal notice, warning that any person who knowingly disobeys the court’s directives could face legal consequences for contempt of court.
The case is expected to proceed through the relevant legal process, with the court ultimately determining the issues surrounding the assets and any allegations made against the parties involved.
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