Lead image for MPs demand crackdown on rogue auctioneers using goons on Kenyans.
Members of Parliament have called for tougher action against rogue auctioneers accused of using goons and excessive force to seize property.
MPs warns that weak enforcement and inadequate penalties are leaving Kenyans exposed to intimidation, abuse and financial losses.
The concerns emerged when the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education questioned the Auctioneers Licensing Board over its regulatory and enforcement record while scrutinising Auditor-General reports covering the seven financial years from 2018/19 to 2024/25.
The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, pressed the board to explain how it was dealing with unlicensed and unscrupulous auctioneers, particularly those accused of working with gangs when executing their assignments.
Maungu said the board needed to restore order and clearly distinguish legitimate auctioneers from individuals operating outside the law.
“You will agree with me that we have quack lawyers, so you also have quack auctioneers,” Maungu told the board, warning that rogue practitioners were “tainting the name of the good ones”.
The MPs' concerns centred on the manner in which some auctioneers allegedly execute warrants. While auctioneers are required to operate within the law when enforcing court orders or recovering debts, committee members said some practitioners had turned the process into an avenue for harassment and intimidation.