Is it a crime to buy or keep stolen goods?
Penal Code · sources read 4 Oct 2026
Yes. Receiving or keeping goods you know or have reason to believe are stolen, or helping to hide, move or sell them, is the felony of handling stolen goods, with up to 14 years in jail.
- Where
- Any police station (emergency: 999, 112 or 911); the case is then heard in court
Steps
- If you find out goods you hold or were offered are stolen, report to the nearest police station. In an emergency, call 999, 112 or 911.
- If the offender is convicted after a prosecution by or for the owner, the court restores the property to the owner.
- If you bought the goods from the offender without knowing they were stolen, you can ask the court to pay you back, up to what you paid, from money taken from the offender on arrest.
Watch out
- You do not have to know for sure. Having reason to believe the goods are stolen is enough.
- Being caught with or carrying something reasonably suspected to be stolen, and failing to explain to the court how you got it, is a separate offence.
- In court, evidence that you handled other stolen goods in the past 12 months can be used to show you knew.
Who this covers
- Anyone, other than the thief while stealing, who dishonestly receives or keeps stolen goods, or helps or arranges to keep, move, get rid of or sell them, knowing or having reason to believe they are stolen.
Official sources (3)
- Penal Code (Cap. 63) new.kenyalaw.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 75) new.kenyalaw.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Kenya Police Service home page kenyapolice.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026