By BOB AMALEMBA
June 7, 2026| For decades, the Biblical Samaritan carried a negative reputation among Jews until one compassionate act changed that narrative.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, it was a stranger from a despised community who stopped to rescue a wounded traveler abandoned by others.
Perhaps inspired by that spirit, a Western Kenya shuttle christened Msamaria Mwema — Swahili for Good Samaritan — has spent years living up to its name.
Since 1989, the familiar matatu brand has ferried stranded passengers from remote villages across Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia, earning a reputation for venturing where many operators would not.
But one of its vehicle that built its identity around kindness and service has now found itself at the center of a legal battle after being attached and sold at auction.
The auction was conducted by Handshake Big Auctioneers — a name that in Kenyan politics has come to symbolize reconciliation, goodwill and unity.
The High Court in Kakamega has temporarily halted the return of the disputed vehicle pending determination of an appeal filed by the auctioneer.
Justice Stephen Mbungi granted a conditional stay, finding that the appeal raises important questions over the distinction between legal ownership under a hire-purchase agreement and beneficial ownership at the time of the accident that gave rise to the claims.
Court documents show that Evans Sumba acquired the Toyota Hiace, registration number KDS 477F, through a hire-purchase arrangement valued at Sh4.9 million, with Iwaki Trading Limited acting as the financier.
However, the vehicle was later attached and sold for Sh900,000 in execution of decrees arising from several Small Claims Court cases.
The owner says he continues paying monthly installments for a vehicle he no longer possesses, while the auctioneer maintains the attachment and public sale were conducted lawfully.
In his ruling delivered on May 26, Justice Mbungi observed that both sides stand to suffer prejudice.
“Restoration of the motor vehicle while the appeal is pending would expose the applicant to potential liability… Conversely, the first respondent continues to service the hire purchase without possession,” the judge ruled.
The court ordered the auctioneer to deposit half the decretal sum in a joint interest-earning account within 14 days, failing which the stay orders will automatically lapse.
For now, the fate of the vehicle whose name evokes the Biblical act of mercy remains uncertain — caught between a “Good Samaritan” legacy and a “Handshake” dispute.