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Widow fights police over husband’s motor vehicle detention
Police yellow tape at a crime scene.
Police in Kiamumbi, Nairobi, are under court scrutiny for allegedly withholding a widow’s car for over two years without a court order, even after a judge dismissed the case that initially justified its seizure.
In court filings, Ms Lucy Wangechi states that the prolonged detention of a vehicle owned by her late husband, Andrew Wanyoike, has hindered her efforts to administer his estate, causing financial loss and emotional distress.
The vehicle was first impounded at Kiamumbi Police Station in November 2023 following temporary orders issued by a Milimani Court in a succession dispute between Wangechi and another woman, Mary Mwende, over control of Wanyoike’s estate. Wanyoike died in October 2023. The court had directed police to hold the car pending resolution of the case and barred any interference with it.
However, the dispute was short-lived since on March 5, 2024, the court upheld a preliminary objection and struck out Mwende’s suit. Wangechi argues that with the case dismissed, the legal basis for holding the vehicle expired, yet police continued detaining it.
She is now seeking a court order compelling the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kiamumbi Police Station to release the vehicle (registration KBQ 230Q) to her as the lawful administrator of her late husband’s estate.
She contends that the prolonged detention has caused unnecessary distress, financial loss, and delays in settling the estate.
Court documents reveal that the High Court in Kiambu had already granted Wangechi and her daughter letters of administration in February 2024, appointing them as legal administrators of Wanyoike’s estate. This grant empowered them to manage and protect estate properties, including the disputed car.
Wangechi recounts that after the Milimani case was dismissed, she attempted to retrieve the vehicle, only to discover it had been released to another woman under unclear circumstances. Despite seeking assistance from the station’s commanding officer, she received no help.
The situation escalated until November 2024, when the Kiambu County Commander intervened, leading to the vehicle’s recovery. Yet, even then, the station refused to release it to Wangechi as the rightful administrator.
In May 2025, her lawyers filed a miscellaneous application seeking a formal court order directing the Kiamumbi OCS to surrender the vehicle. The application asserts that police unjustifiably “denied and/or refused to release” the car.
In her affidavit, Wangechi emphasises her legal authority over the estate and confirms the vehicle remains registered in her late husband’s name. Part of her documentary evidence is a “motor vehicle copy of records” from the National Transport and Safety Authority to show the car’s ownership.
She argues that the continued detention serves no purpose and harms the estate’s interests. “It is only fair that the properties left by my husband be put to good use and not go to waste,” she states.
Police have opposed her application. In a replying affidavit, the Kiamumbi OCS claims he is holding the vehicle under the original Milimani court orders—a claim Wangechi disputes. The officer insists he remains “bound by the said orders unless directed otherwise by the court.”
The filings also reveal that the vehicle had previously been released from the station before being recovered, a sequence Wangechi says deepened her mistrust and further delayed estate settlement.
She further alleges that police have repeatedly cited her own pending application as justification for withholding the car, even after she expressed willingness to withdraw it.
Her legal team frames the case as one of police accountability, urging the court to compel the vehicle’s release to the estate.
The case is scheduled for mention on May 12, 2026.
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