A Kenyan micro-investment company, Together As One PLC, is the subject of fresh allegations from a customer who claims the firm withheld crucial vehicle ownership documents and demanded additional payments not disclosed in the original sale terms.
The complaint centres on a vehicle acquired through an auction facilitated by the company headquartered at Information House, 3rd Floor, Room 307, Mfangano Street, Nairobi.
After completing the purchase, the buyer alleges that the firm retained the vehicle’s logbook and declined to initiate the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) ownership transfer until an extra payment was made.
According to the account, the firm demanded Sh10,000 as a “facilitation” charge, said to be half of a Ksh 20,000 payment that the company purportedly sends to an external NTSA intermediary to complete such transfers.
The intermediary allegedly did not process the vehicle transfer in the NTSA system until confirmation was received that the facilitation payment had been made.
The buyer claims this requirement was never disclosed during the purchase process, nor was it backed by any formal company policy that could be reviewed.
When challenged, company representatives reportedly asserted that the transfer fee was part of their standard operating approach, despite the absence of any written policy or contractual provision to that effect.
The buyer maintains that the payment was demanded as a precondition for releasing the logbook, effectively leaving the vehicle in legal limbo until the money was remitted.
The complainant says they have retained receipts and correspondence documenting the transaction, which they intend to present as evidence once they file a complaint with the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
“Hi Cyprian. Help me expose this microfinance called Together as One Micro Investment Ltd for extortion. I purchased an auction vehicle from them and they withheld my logbook and forced me to pay 10k (which is half of the 20k payment they send to their NTSA enabler) as facilitation for forced transfer. Their NTSA guy is called Ephraim Wamae 072-116-15** who will not dispatch the vehicle to you on the system until he gets confirmation that you have paid the 10k. I asked Ephraim why I’m charged that fee and he said that’s how they operate. The manager at Together as One said it’s in their policy to charge for the transfer but when I asked to view the policy he said it’s not written anywhere, it’s just how they operate. I have all receipts and chats.”
It remains to be seen how the authorities will address the allegations, particularly in light of existing consumer protection provisions that prohibit hidden charges and unfair contractual terms.
