How a multi-million Land Cruiser was stolen from Machakos, recoverred in Kisumu

A Toyota Land Cruiser stolen from a businessman in Machakos has turned into one of the most bizarre police sagas of the year, linking armed robbery, a cross-county manhunt, and the arrest of eight officers accused of betraying the very oath to protect property.

The ordeal began on September 10, 2025, when the businessman, who owns a supermarket in Machakos Town, was driving along the Machakos–Kangundo road toward Kamulu.

A motorcycle rammed into his vehicle from behind, forcing him to stop and inspect the damage. Unaware of the trap laid for him, he was immediately confronted by three men, two reportedly carrying rifles.

The gang blindfolded him using a black polythene waste disposal bag and bundled him into the boot of his own Land Cruiser.

Terrified, he told police later that the men drove at high speed for hours before stopping in a bushy area.

There, they robbed him of Sh213,000 in cash and his mobile phone before abandoning him in the thicket.

Disoriented but alive, the businessman walked on foot until he reached the Machakos–Wote tarmac road, where a boda boda rider ferried him to Machakos Police Station.

 Officers rushed him to hospital for treatment before launching a search for the vehicle and his attackers.

Hours later, the missing Land Cruiser was discovered abandoned more than 400 kilometers away in Maseno, Kisumu County.

It was towed to Maseno Police Station as evidence, where it was expected to remain secure as investigations unfolded.

But what seemed like progress quickly turned into another twist. Days after being impounded, the vehicle mysteriously disappeared again, this time from inside the station’s own yard.

The irony was not lost on investigators: a vehicle recovered by police had allegedly been stolen from under their noses.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi were dispatched to Kisumu, and after days of quiet surveillance, suspicion fell on officers attached to Maseno Police Station.

On September 22, 2025, eight officers were rounded up and arrested. They were transferred to Kisumu Central Police Station, where they remain in custody pending interrogation and possible arraignment.

According to investigators, the eight are accused of colluding in the theft of the Land Cruiser, betraying the public trust placed in them.

The car’s whereabouts remain unknown, with detectives intensifying efforts to trace it.

The incident has stirred unease within the security sector, once again raising questions about discipline, accountability, and corruption within police ranks.

Senior officials, however, have described the case as isolated, insisting it is being handled professionally.

It is not the first time police officers have been linked to crime, but the disappearance of an already recovered vehicle from a police yard has shocked many Kenyans, highlighting the urgent need for reforms in handling seized property.