In case you missed it, read part 1 of this serialisation here

Not every man has his price if a peculiar trend in Tarakea, a small town in northern Tanzania, is anything to go by.

Ask any motorcycle rider to name his price to ferry you into Illasit – a shopping centre five kilometres away but on the Kenyan side of the Oloitoktok border – and the answer will almost certainly be a “no” – especially from those with the Bajaj Boxer, TVS Star or Honda Ace brands.

It has nothing to do with immigration laws, but everything to do with fear of the motorcycles being flagged and inspected then, most likely, seized.

Many of the motorcycles, though operational and acquired legitimately, are entangled in a murky web of cross-border theft, forged documents and mechanical identity swaps that stretch far beyond the Kenya-Tanzania frontier.

Many of the motorcycles in public transport in Tarakea and the surrounding areas were stolen from Kenya. The syndicate involves many actors – the thieves, transporters, mechanics and brokers. The machines then appear in distant markets with new identities.

Mr Eric Massawe, the County Manager of Watu-Kenya – a leading credit financier for motorbikes and tuk tuks – says the patterns are known.

Theft is no longer random. It is calculated, coordinated and often financed. Models like Bajaj Boxer 150 and Bajaj Boxer 125 HD are prime targets as they are common, powerful and easily blend into traffic.

Once stolen, the journey begins almost immediately. A motorcycle taken from Thika Road, for instance, will have its GPS tracker removed immediately.

It may then be moved across counties, sometimes as far as Moyale, before disappearing into Ethiopia.

Read: MPs summon boda boda loan firms over theft, repossession of bikes

The routes depend on the intended market. For the north, stolen motorcycles are first channelled through urban hubs like Eastleigh or Kiamaiko in Nairobi, then transported on Thika Road towards Moyale and into Ethiopia.

The economics are striking. A motorbike that might fetch tens of thousands of Kenya shillings can sell for as much as Sh500,000.

Another network feeds the Tanzanian market to the south. Stolen motorcycles, particularly TVS Star models, are moved on the Nairobi-Mombasa Road through Emali and Oloitokitok, before disappearing through informal crossing points near Illasit into Tanzania.

Rarely does one person handle the entire journey. One motorcycle may pass through three or more people – the thief, one who transports it to a transit point and the third who delivers it to the border. This makes tracking difficult.

The complexity does not end there. The motorcycles transform once in Tanzania. Number plates are swapped, often replaced with those belonging to unrelated or written-off bikes.

Chassis numbers are ground, with the place engraved with counterfeit markings.

Engines and frames are interchanged, creating mongrel machines that cannot be easily traced.

Motorcycles parked at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi on July 25, 2022. Motorcycle theft in Kenya has quietly evolved from an opportunistic street crime into a sophisticated enterprise

Photo credit: LUCY WANJIRU| NATION MEDIA GROUP

Security officers at Illasit border say the scale of the problem is staggering. From Elrai through Maili Tatu, Rombo, Ndarara and into Kimana, only a few motorcycles are believed to be genuinely acquired. Some 85 to 90 per cent are suspected to be stolen or fraudulently obtained, as revealed by a police officer who sought anonymity.

Prices reflect the illicit nature of the trade. A motorcycle that would cost significantly more in Kenya can be bought for as little as Sh30,000 to Sh40,000 in Tanzania, particularly in Tarakea.

Some lenders require deposits as low as Sh15,000. A criminal can acquire a motorcycle, sell it across the border for a higher amount and pocket the difference. The proceeds are then used to repeat the cycle, creating a steady stream of profit.

The affordability has created a thriving demand, drawing buyers who either do not question the origin of the bikes or knowingly participate in the business.

Despite the challenges, recovery efforts continue. Police at Illasit border point say they have seized and returned at least 200 motorcycles to their owners in the last four years.

Read: How police cracked North Rift motorcycle theft syndicate

Using data from the National Transport and Safety Authority and working with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and telecom providers, they can trace ownership through chassis and registration details, even when number plates have been altered.

“Last July, we auctioned around 80 impounded motorbikes through the Asset Recovery Authority because we could not trace the owners,” the police officer said.

One of the biggest hurdles is cross-border cooperation. An officer recounted how attempts to work with Tanzanian colleagues often fail. In some cases, requests for aid are met with delays that allow suspects to escape.

Fake documents

“An officer on the other side will tell you to give him a few minutes to put on shoes, but will instead go out and alert the suspect since we share information. They know exactly who we are looking for,” the policeman said, describing how tip-offs can enable criminals to flee deeper into Tanzania, where tracking becomes impossible.

The Daily Nation team at the porous border took just minutes to understand how easy it is for a motorcyclist to ride from Kenya to Tanzania without proper authorisation.

Four murram roads cutting through farms are a perfect getaway for riders dodging customs and immigration officers.

Read: 8 suspects linked to motorcycle theft syndicate arrested

The crew witnessed at least 10 motorcycles crossing through one of the “panya routes” barely 300 metres from Illasit border point into a path before speeding to the Tarakea side.

The bikes crossing through these points have Kenyan and Tanzanian registration plates.

Officers on the Kenyan side face resistance from the community and politicians. Arrests are often met with hostility, and suspects can quickly mobilise support.

Politicians intervene, demanding the release of confiscated motorcycles or defending suspects.

“When you arrest many, you become a public enemy on the Kenyan and Tanzanian sides. People here have families on both sides of the border,” one officer said.

Read: Five companies on the spot over mysterious disappearance of motorcycles

Forgery is another challenge. Our source at Illasit police station said they have encountered more than 100 fake documents, many convincing enough to deceive potential buyers.

In some cases, an individual buys a motorcycle believing it to be legitimate, only for it to be confiscated later.

The Daily Nation crew interacted with such documents. The motorcycle number plate was in order – KMGD 672B, but it was flagged by a simple check that revealed its chassis number had been altered.

On the fake registration certificate, the TVS model motorbikes’ chassis number was MD625AE39M1F02567, whereas its genuinely registered number in the NTSA records was MD2A21BX8NWL92660.

A signpost on the outskirts of Oloitokitok town in Kajiado County on April 18,2026. Authorities believe stolen motorcycles are ferried through the nearby border into Tanzania.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group

“I had no option but to seize it as soon as I saw the discrepancy, even though the number plate matched official records,” the officer said.

Speed is critical. Within an hour of theft in Nairobi, a motorcycle can be on Mombasa Road, heading towards Emali and Oloitokitok or moving to Moyale. That is why fast reporting is critical.

Delays give thieves the time needed to disable trackers, alter identities and move the asset beyond reach.

In Busia, the theft mirrors that in Illasit, but with even faster turnaround times. Motorcycles stolen in Malaba, Busia, Mumias, Kisumu, Bumala and other towns are often moved across the border within hours.

The porous Kenya-Uganda border and informal crossings allow stolen bikes to slip through undetected, feeding a ready market where resale prices hover around Sh70,000.

Unlike Tanzania, where bikes are integrated into local transport, the Ugandan corridor is a destination and transit point.

Some motorcycles are retained for local use, while many are moved further inland.

The head of asset recovery at watu – the company preferred to have its name not shared here – narrated how he once recovered a bike that was stolen in Nairobi and was originally headed for Ethiopia, but never made it as the rider felt he could use it to make money.

“He removed the tracker on Thika Road, then went to Garissa, where he remained for three months. He was returning to his home in Kitui when we found him. We recovered the asset and went to Muthangari police station. The man was later arraigned for theft,” he said.

Read: How boda boda thieves exploit dual nationality

“Had the motorcycle proceeded to Ethiopia, it would have been impossible to track it”.

The Boxer 150 and 125cc, HD motorbikes – particularly the red ones – are the most preferred by the syndicates.

If a bike is destined for Ethiopia, the tracker will be removed as soon as it hits Thika road.

A sign near Acher's Post in Isiolo County shows the distance to Marsabit and Moyale.

Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group

The motorcycle will then be taken to Isiolo. With riders aware of a security checkpoint in Archer’s Post on the Isiolo-Samburu counties border, they utilise unofficial routes to bypass it.

They then re-emerge on the Isiolo-Moyale highway to complete the remaining hundreds of kilometres to Moyale in a single night.

This staggering difference in prices in Kenya and Ethiopia fuels the entire criminal supply chain, making the theft of motorcycles highly profitable.

The high-value markets explain the level of organisation behind the illicit business.

Riders tasked with transporting motorcycles north are often specialists, distinct from those who carry out the theft.

Their role is purely logistical, to ensure the motorcycles reach their destination regardless of distance or risk.

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Tomorrow: Fake thefts and inside deals: How ‘buy now, pay later’ clients enlist in crime syndicates in the cross-border boda boda trade, and the lengths they will go to make a quick buck.