Police Recover Car Stolen in Uganda in Bungoma Village After Tip-Off

car theft stolen car
A photo collage of someone trying to break into a car and an insert of a stolen Toyota recovered by police.
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Kenyans.co.ke

A car stolen in Jinja, Uganda, was found in Kenya at a homestead in Banda village, Bungoma County, the police can now confirm.

In a statement released on Saturday, October 18, the National Police Service (NPS) revealed that intelligence reports had confirmed that the stolen car had been spotted in the village, 176 kilometres away.

Upon reaching the village, the police disclosed that they had discovered that the vehicle’s registration had been changed to reflect Kenyan plates, but the complainant managed to positively identify it.

“Following a report of a stolen motor vehicle from Jinja Town in Uganda, officers from Bungoma South Sub-County received intelligence that the vehicle had been sighted at a homestead in Banda Village, Bungoma County,” police said.

toyota uganda
The Toyota Premio car that was stolen in Uganda after being recovered by police in Bungoma, Kenya.
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National Police Service

“They rushed to the homestead and recovered the vehicle. It was established that the registration number plate had been changed; however, the complainant was able to identify it positively,” NPS added.

Police further revealed that the suspect behind the vehicle theft had been arrested and was in their custody pending his arraignment.

“The vehicle was towed to the station, and the suspect was taken into custody pending processing and arraignment,” police noted.

In their message, the police did not reveal the finer details such as when the vehicle was stolen and the identity of the thief.

A growing trend of cross-border car theft between Kenya and Uganda has emerged, where organised rings steal vehicles in cities such as Nairobi and Kampala, then move across border towns such as Malaba and Busia.

The gangs are said to change number plates, forge car identification documents, or strip identifiers. Some of the groups are said to be involved in regional crime,  as investigations and reports have revealed that they rebrand and smuggle cars onward, sometimes to DRC, Burundi, Malawi, or internally across East Africa.

In September 2024, multiple vehicles stolen in Kampala were recovered in Busia, following police action.

One high-profile recovery was a vehicle belonging to Uganda’s Inspector General of Police. Arrests and recoveries involving Kenyan nationals at Busia have been reported in past years, illustrating the cross-border nature of some rings. 

The Kenya-Uganda Busia One Stop Border Post.
The Kenya-Uganda Busia One Stop Border Post.
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