Popular Kenyan politician Alinur Mohamed has publicly accused the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Ukasi Police Station, Nicholas Memusi, of unlawfully impounding a shipment of rice that he claims was legally acquired and properly documented.
The dispute has triggered fresh debate about police seizure procedures, due process, and accountability in handling privately owned goods.
In a public statement, Alinur said the rice consignment was intended for lawful distribution and that all regulatory and transport requirements had been met before the shipment was intercepted.
He insists there was no violation of trade, customs, or transport laws and maintains that officers were given full access to the supporting paperwork at the time of the stop.
According to him, the detention of the goods lacks legal justification and has continued despite what he describes as complete cooperation with law enforcement.
He argues that the situation reflects a breakdown in procedure rather than a legitimate enforcement action.
Alinur stated that he submitted invoices, transport permits, and ownership documentation to the officers involved.
He also said he made himself available for questioning and clarification but has not been given a formal explanation for why the rice remains held at the station.
He directly named the Ukasi OCS, Nicholas Memusi, as the officer responsible for the impoundment and questioned the legal basis of the decision.
In his words, the shipment consists of “rice goods that are legally mine and meant for lawful distribution,” and therefore should not be subject to continued detention without charges or written orders.
One of his central complaints is the absence of formal communication. He says no charge sheet, seizure notice, or written justification has been issued to him.
That gap matters. Under standard enforcement practice, when goods are seized, authorities are typically expected to document the grounds and provide a record to the owner or transporter. Without that paper trail, the action becomes legally vulnerable if challenged in court.
Alinur also claims that no criminal or regulatory charges have been filed against him in connection with the shipment.
If accurate, that raises a straightforward question: on what authority are the goods still being held? Police can temporarily detain goods for verification, but extended holding periods usually require a documented investigative or legal basis.
He described the continued detention as unlawful and pointed to what he called official silence from the station. From a governance standpoint, silence is not a neutral act — it weakens the credibility of the enforcement action. If authorities have solid grounds, they normally state them. When they do not, suspicion grows, fairly or unfairly.
However, there is another side that cannot be ignored. Public claims by a politician are not proof. Police seizures sometimes occur because of suspected tax evasion, smuggling concerns, counterfeit goods, or permit irregularities that are not immediately disclosed during early investigation stages. Until the police issue a formal response, the full context remains incomplete.
This is where discipline in reporting matters. Allegations are not findings. At this stage, what exists are claims by Alinur Mohamed and an absence of an official counter-statement from the police command in Ukasi or higher authorities in the National Police Service.
The smart next step is verification, not outrage.
Key facts that need confirmation include: whether a seizure notice was issued, what specific law or regulation justified the impoundment, the quantity and declared origin of the rice, and whether other agencies such as customs or trade regulators were involved.
If Alinur’s documentation is as complete as he says, the continued detention will be difficult to defend legally. If it is not, his public pressure campaign is a tactic, not a truth claim. Both scenarios are possible.
Until an official police response is recorded, the matter stays in the realm of allegation versus authority. What will determine credibility is paperwork, not press statements.
