A cross section of stolen vehicle from around the region
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Uganda is increasingly coming under scrutiny as a growing hub for stolen vehicles originating from neighbouring countries, particularly Kenya and South Sudan, according to new findings by security agencies.
The revelations, contained in the 2025 annual crime report, point to a sophisticated cross-border criminal network that is exploiting regional trade routes and weak enforcement gaps to traffic stolen vehicles into the country for resale or dismantling.
While overall motor vehicle theft cases within Uganda declined from 999 in 2024 to 875 in 2025, authorities warn that the nature of the crime is evolving into a more organised and transnational operation.
Data from the Directorate of Interpol and International Relations in Kampala shows that at least 50 cases of cross-border motor vehicle theft were investigated last year. Using the global I-24/7 policing system, officers conducted 387 vehicle searches during Operation USALAMA Xi, intercepting four vehicles and verifying more than 600 others.
The report indicates a significant improvement in recovery rates, with 64 percent of stolen vehicles recovered in 2025 compared to 42 percent the previous year. Of the recovered vehicles, 21 were repatriated to their countries of origin, while others were returned to verified owners or remain under investigation.
Joseph Obwona
According to Joseph Obwona, the Assistant Inspector General of Police heading the directorate, the gains have been driven by enhanced intelligence sharing and coordinated regional operations.
“Out of the recovered vehicles, 21 were repatriated to their countries of origin, five were handed over to verified owners and six remain under further management,” Obwona said.
However, investigators say criminal networks are adapting quickly, shifting from the theft of high-end sport utility vehicles to cargo trucks, which are easier to move across borders and harder to trace once dismantled.
A senior security officer revealed that many of these trucks are stolen or fraudulently acquired in Kenya and Sudan before being driven into Uganda, where they are broken down into spare parts.
“This is a major shift in the criminal pattern. Cargo trucks are easier to move across borders, easier to disguise within regional trade and once dismantled, tracking becomes extremely difficult,” the officer said.
Authorities say some suspects exploit financing loopholes by acquiring vehicles through fraudulent loan or mortgage arrangements in Kenya, before quickly transporting them across the border. In other cases, criminals legitimately purchase vehicles abroad, bring them into Uganda, and later falsely report them stolen to claim insurance compensation.
The growing scale of the problem was highlighted following the arrest of two suspected members of a regional vehicle theft ring in August 2025. The suspects, identified as Ismail Gumikiriza, also known by multiple aliases, and Fred Kinene, were apprehended in Kampala.
During interrogation, the pair reportedly confessed to transporting stolen vehicles across borders and selling them within the region, exposing a criminal pipeline stretching from Kenya and Sudan through South Sudan into Uganda’s capital.
Among the vehicles linked to the suspects was a Toyota Harrier stolen in Kiwatule in July 2025 and later sold in the Democratic Republic of Congo for sh25 million. Another vehicle stolen in Kyanja was sold for sh10 million, while an earlier theft in Nabweru involved a Toyota Alphard that fetched sh9 million.
The suspects were subsequently arraigned before the City Hall Court in Kampala and remanded to Luzira Prison.
Security agencies say these developments underscore the need for stronger regional collaboration to combat vehicle theft syndicates that operate across porous borders.
Despite recent successes in recovery and repatriation, authorities warn that Uganda’s position as a transit and destination point for stolen vehicles could undermine regional security and economic stability if left unchecked.
Analysts argue that sustained intelligence sharing, tighter border controls, and improved vehicle tracking systems will be critical in dismantling the networks and reversing the trend.
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