Search and seizure - national proceedings

Republic of Kenya

Kenya - Criminal Procedure Code 1930 (2018) EN

PART III – GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARREST, ESCAPE AND RETAKING

Arrest Generally

22. Search of place entered by person sought to be arrested
(1) If any person acting under a warrant of arrest, or any police officer having authority to arrest, has reason to believe that the person to be arrested has entered into or is within any place, the person residing in or being in charge of that place shall, on demand of the person so acting or the police officer, allow him free ingress thereto and afford all reasonable facilities for a search therein.
(2) If ingress to a place cannot be obtained under subsection (1), it shall be lawful in any case for a person acting under a warrant, and in any case in which a warrant may issue but cannot be obtained without affording the person to be arrested an opportunity to escape, for a police officer to enter the place and search therein, and, in order to effect an entrance into the place, to break open any outer or inner door or window of a house or place, whether that of the person to be arrested or of another person, or otherwise effect entry into the house or place, if after notification of his authority and purpose, and demand of admittance duly made, he cannot otherwise obtain admittance:

Provided that if any such place is an apartment in the actual occupancy of a woman (not being the person to be arrested) who, according to custom, does not appear in public, the person or police officer shall, before entering the apartment, give notice to the woman that she is at liberty to withdraw, and shall afford her every reasonable facility for withdrawing, and may then break open the apartment and enter it.

23. Power to break out of house, etc., for purposes of liberation
A police officer or other person authorized to make an arrest may break out of any house or place in order to liberate himself or any other person who, having lawfully entered for the purpose of making an arrest, is detained therein.

PART III – GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARREST, ESCAPE AND RETAKING

Arrest Generally

25. Search of arrested persons
Whenever a person is arrested—
(a) by a police officer under a warrant which does not provide for the taking of bail, or under a warrant which provides for the taking of bail but the person arrested cannot furnish bail; or
(b) without warrant, or by a private person under a warrant, and the person arrested cannot legally be admitted to bail or is unable to furnish bail,
the police officer making the arrest, or, when the arrest is made by a private person, the police officer to whom he makes over the person arrested, may search that person and place in safe custody all articles, other than necessary wearing apparel, found upon him.

PART IV – PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

SEARCH WARRANTS

118. Power to issue search warrant
Where it is proved on oath to a court or a magistrate that anything upon, with or in respect of which an offence has been committed, or anything which is necessary for the conduct of an investigation into an offence, is, or is reasonably suspected to be, in any place, building, ship, aircraft, vehicle, box or receptacle, the court or a magistrate may by written warrant (called a search warrant) authorize a police officer or a person named in the search warrant to search the place, building, ship, aircraft, vehicle, box or receptacle (which shall be named or described in the warrant) for that thing and, if the thing be found, to seize it and take it before a court having jurisdiction to be dealt with according to law.

118A. Ex-parte application for search warrant
An application for a search warrant under section 118 shall be made ex-parte to a magistrate.

119. Execution of search warrants
A search warrant may be issued on any day (including Sunday), and may be executed on any day (including Sunday) between the hours of sunrise and sunset, but the court may, by the warrant authorize the police officer or other person to whom it is addressed to execute it at any hour.

120. Persons in charge of closed place to allow ingress and egress
(1) Whenever a building or other place liable to search is closed, a person residing in or being in charge of the building or place shall, on demand of the police officer or other person executing the search warrant and on production of the warrant, allow him free ingress thereto and egress therefrom and afford all reasonable facilities for a search therein.
(2) If ingress into or egress from the building or other place cannot be so obtained, the police officer or other person executing the search warrant may proceed in the manner prescribed by section 22 or section 23.
(3) Where a person in or about the building or place is reasonably suspected of concealing about his person an article for which search should be made, that person may be searched.
(4) If that person is a woman the provisions of section 27 shall be observed.

121. Detention of property seized
(1) When anything is so seized and brought before a court, it may be detained until the conclusion of the case or the investigation, reasonable care being taken for its preservation.
(2) If an appeal is made, or if a person is committed for trial, the court may order it to be further detained for the purpose of the appeal or the trial.
(3) If no appeal is made, or if no person is committed for trial, the court shall direct the thing to be restored to the person from whom it was taken, unless the court sees fit or is authorized or required by law to dispose of it otherwise.

122. Provisions applicable to search warrants
The provisions of subsections (1) and (3) of section 102, and sections 104, 106, 109, 110 and 111, shall, so far as may be, apply to search warrants issued under section 118.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(h) The execution of searches and seizures;