DCI, Kenya Coast Guards Foil Boat Engine Theft Syndicate & Arrest 3 Suspects

DCI, Kenya Coast Guards Foil Boat Engine Theft Syndicate & Arrest 3 Suspects

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has dismantled a suspected boat engine theft syndicate in Homa Bay County.

This is after six Yamaha outboard engines believed to have been stolen were recovered during a security operation at Sindo Main Beach.

The recovery was carried out jointly by officers from the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) and DCI detectives on May 17.

This is after a series of complaints by boat owners on an increase in theft of expensive marine equipment along the lakeside region.

“Personnel from KCGS’ Port Victoria Station, in collaboration with the DCI, recovered six suspected stolen Yamaha outboard engines….during an operation at Sindo Main Beach, Homa Bay County,” said KCGS.

KCGS RECOVERS SUSPECTED STOLEN OUTBOARD ENGINES

Personnel from KCGS’ Port Victoria Station, in collaboration with the DCI, recovered six suspected stolen Yamaha outboard engines mounted on six boats during an operation at Sindo Main Beach, Homa Bay County. pic.twitter.com/fkLIOSlHhW

— Kenya Coast Guard Service (@OfficialKCGS) May 17, 2026

According to investigators, the engines were mounted on six separate boats when officers from KCGS’ Port Victoria Station raided the beach area during the multi-agency operation targeting suspected illegal activities linked to stolen marine property around Lake Victoria.

Authorities confirmed that one of the recovered engines had already been positively identified by its owner.

This report gives detectives a major breakthrough as they worked to establish the source of the remaining engines and track down additional suspects.

Three suspects were arrested during the operation and are currently being held at Port Victoria Police Station.

They are assisting detectives with investigations into what security agencies believe could be a wider criminal network operating across the lakeside counties.

“One engine has been positively identified by the complainant. Three suspects are currently in custody at Port Victoria Police Station, and efforts to apprehend additional suspects are ongoing as investigations continue,” stated KCGS.

Boat engine theft is a major security issue in Kenya, primarily affecting fishing and transport communities in Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean regions, such as Lamu, Mombasa, and Kwale Counties. 

Pirates and criminal syndicates routinely ambush fishermen to strip valuable outboard motors (engines) like Yamaha or Suzuki to resell, dismantle, or smuggle across borders into neighboring countries like Uganda and Tanzania.

ALSO READ:

• Matatu Association Confirms National Strike On Monday, Transport Alliance Issues Statement
• DCI, Kenya Coast Guards Foil Boat Engine Theft Syndicate & Arrest 3 Suspects
• EPRA Adds Charges For May Power Tariffs
• ACCIDENT ALERT! Full Bus With Passengers Overturns, Leaves Scores Injured
• State Gazettes New State Lodge Previously Housing County Commissioner

For the Lake Region, since Lake Victoria is shared by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, stolen engines are frequently smuggled across international waters.

Law enforcement agencies like the KCGS and the Uganda Police Marine Unit (UPMU) frequently collaborate on joint recovery operations.

In Kenya, under Section 371 of the Merchant Shipping Act (Cap 389), maritime piracy or armed robbery against ships in territorial waters carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

This specialized maritime law specifically penalizes any illegal acts of violence, detention, or degradation committed on the high seas. 

Conversely, the Penal Code (Cap 63) governs engine theft. Section 275 imposes three years for general theft, Section 279 levies seven years for stealing transit goods, and Section 322 prescribes a harsher 14-year maximum for handling or reselling stolen marine motors.

DCI, Kenya Coast Guards Foil Boat Engine Theft Syndicate & Arrest 3 Suspects