Police in Kisumu have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against organized car theft following a multi-agency operation that led to the recovery of several suspected stolen vehicles and the arrest of two suspects linked to a motor vehicle theft syndicate.
The operation, conducted jointly by officers from Migosi and Kassagam Police Stations, was based on actionable intelligence that pinpointed two key locations believed to be used by the suspects — Khayeko Junction, located about two kilometres south of Migosi Police Station, and Aliwa Village, approximately four kilometres north.
During the coordinated raids, police recovered a total of 11 vehicles, all of which lacked valid ownership documents and are suspected to have been stolen from different parts of the country. The vehicles included:
- 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
Further searches were conducted at a house in Aliwa Village belonging to 32-year-old Michael Eric Mwanga. The officers recovered additional exhibits including car radios, number plates, and assorted vehicle parts suspected to have been used to disguise the stolen vehicles. Notably, one of the number plates, KDG 157H, matched a plate found on one of the recovered vehicles at Khayeko Junction, while another, KDC 629P, had been deliberately defaced and cut into pieces — a likely attempt to conceal evidence.
Mwanga and another suspect, 37-year-old Peter Andei, were arrested and are currently being held at Migosi Police Station. Both face charges related to the possession of suspected stolen motor vehicles. The operation’s alleged mastermind, identified as Evans Otieno Meda, remains on the run, with police intensifying efforts to locate and arrest him.
All recovered vehicles have been detained at Migosi Police Station pending verification of ownership by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). Police have confirmed that the crackdown is part of a broader effort to dismantle a well-organized motor vehicle theft network believed to be operating within Kisumu and neighbouring counties.
