Can police tow or impound your vehicle, and who pays to get it back?
Traffic Act · sources read 5 Oct 2026
A police officer or traffic inspector can take your vehicle to a police station or other safe place if it is being used against the Traffic Act, looks abandoned, or is left where it endangers other road users and the driver cannot be found. Police can keep it while they make inquiries. The owner pays any towing, repair or off-loading costs, and the vehicle is not released until those costs are paid or the person owed agrees in writing to let it go.
- Where
- The police station or place of safety where the vehicle is held; NTSA for plates and licence taken under a prohibition order
Steps
- Find out which police station or safe place the vehicle was taken to; the officer decides the method and route of removal.
- Ask whether the police inquiries are complete; they can hold the vehicle until then.
- Ask for the towing, repair or off-loading costs and who they are owed to. These costs are the owner's to pay.
- To get the vehicle released, pay the person owed, or get that person to confirm in writing that the vehicle can be removed before they are paid.
Watch out
- The officer who ordered the removal is not liable for damage to the vehicle or for items lost from it while it is moved or kept at the station.
- Separately, a police officer, licensing officer or inspector can ban use of a vehicle that breaks the construction, use and equipment rules until it is repaired and certified compliant, and may take its number plates and licence to NTSA while the ban lasts.
- Driving or allowing use of a vehicle under such a ban: fine up to KSh 50,000; for a repeat conviction, a fine up to KSh 75,000 or up to 12 months in jail.
Who this covers
- Removal is allowed when the vehicle is used on a road against the Traffic Act (or the EAC Vehicle Load Control Act, 2016), appears abandoned or should be moved to a place of safety, or is left in a dangerous position with the owner or driver not readily found.
- Once removed, police may keep the vehicle at the police station or safe place until they have made the inquiries they think necessary.
Official sources (1)
- Traffic Act (Cap. 403), consolidated new.kenyalaw.org · read 5 Oct 2026