Police have surrendered a car belonging to President Yoweri Museveni’s senior spokesman after it was found in Kenya with South Sudanese registration numbers.
The car, a Toyota Kluger, disappeared from a parking lot at a Kampala home in September last year, only to be found in Kenya with a false South Sudanese registration SSD598M in April.
Kenya’s Flying Squad officers, after receiving a tip-off from colleagues in Uganda trailed clues for the car and first saw it Murang’a before it was impounded in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
The occupants fled after defying orders to surrender, officials said at the time.
NOT MUSEVENI’S
On Tuesday, Mr Don Wanyama, President Museveni’s Senior Press Secretary told the Nation that he had received back his car after months of searching.
“The Kenyan Flying Squad handed it to Uganda police yesterday (Monday) at Busia. It was stolen last September from my home and taken to Kenya,” he said, clarifying earlier reports the car belonged to the Ugandan leader.
With the region’s porous borders, police say the car theft is on the rise with vehicles being ferried to neighbouring countries and their registration numbers changed.
In November 2017, Kenyan banned South Sudanese registration numbers with the series CE, EE, SSJS, UNS, WS and NBGS after Juba regularised registration.
But with no shared database on vehicle registration, thieves are still able to falsify acceptable series in a bit to dodge the police.
Police sources in Kenya say the car was verified after its chassis number differed with the South Sudanese registration, but marched with details provided by Ugandan authorities.
By Daily Nation
