Govt Puts 47 Imported Cars, Other Multimillion Goods on Auction; How to Bid

The government on Friday announced plans to auction over 47 cars that were abandoned by their owners at a Mombasa Warehouse facility.

In a gazette notice, the government revealed that the affected motor vehicles alongside other goods at the facility had not been picked by the owners and that would force a public auction.

The government, as a result, gave the owners a notice period of 30 days to go pick up their belongings or risk losing them through auction.

The notice added that the auction will be done online in the event that the owners do not beat the timelines given.

Luxury cars at a showroom.

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UAE Luxury

‘’Notice is given that unless the under-mentioned goods are entered and removed from the custody of the Customs Warehouse Keeper, Container Freight Stations, Mombasa, within thirty (30) days of this notice, they may be sold by public auction on 23rd October, 2024, 24th October, 2024 and 25th October, 2024 via online auction,’’ the notice from the government stated.

The cars listed among them included Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota, and Volvo among other goods.

Interested buyers were advised to submit their bids online via

For buyers interested in viewing the goods physically, the government advised that they could go to the Mombasa Freight Station on October 21 and October 22 during working hours.

The law gives the government the power to auction goods that have stayed in a customs facility for 30 days and whose owners have failed to pick them up.

According to the East African Community Customs Management Act, the goods that are perishable can even be auctioned without notice to the owners.

‘’Where any goods which have been deposited in a Customs warehouse are not lawfully removed within thirty days after deposit, then the Commissioner shall give notice by publication in the Gazette that unless such goods are removed within thirty days from the date of notice they shall be deemed to have been abandoned to Customs for sale by public auction and may be sold in such manner as the Commissioner may deem fit,’’ the Act reads in part.

‘’Provided that any such goods which are of a perishable nature, or are animals, may be sold by the proper officer without notice, either by public auction or by private treaty, at any time after deposit in the Customs warehouse,’’ the Act adds. 

Motorists stuck in a traffic jam inside Nairobi Central Business District

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Ma3Route