A customer has accused NCBA Bank of unfair and frustrating treatment after his vehicle was repossessed and allegedly held at the bank’s yard despite him clearing the loan arrears that had triggered the recovery process.

According to the customer, he has been servicing the asset financing loan for the last four years and only has an outstanding balance of about KSh 530,000.

He says that after the vehicle was repossessed, he cleared all the arrears in full, expecting the bank to release the vehicle, only for NCBA to allegedly keep holding it while giving him conflicting explanations.

The customer now claims that staff at the bank have shifted the position and are insisting that he clears the entire remaining loan balance before the vehicle can be released.

“My vehicle is currently being held at their yard. I have been faithfully servicing this loan for the last four years, and the remaining balance is approximately KSh 530,000. After the vehicle was repossessed, I cleared all the arrears in full, expecting the vehicle to be released. However, to date, the bank has refused to release it,” the customer said.

He further claims that the bank has not handled the matter transparently, saying the explanations he has been receiving have been inconsistent and frustrating.

“Instead, I keep receiving conflicting explanations and delays, with staff now insisting that I must clear the entire outstanding loan balance before the vehicle can be released. This was not made clear to me, and the continued delays feel unfair and deliberate,” he added.

The matter raises fresh questions about the way NCBA handles asset financing recovery cases, especially in situations where customers say they have already cleared arrears but are still being subjected to more demands before their vehicles are released.

Asset financing has become one of the most sensitive areas in banking because many customers depend on financed vehicles for business, family movement and daily income.

When a vehicle is repossessed, the impact is not just financial. It can shut down someone’s income, affect repayment ability and push the customer deeper into distress.

The customer has also raised concern over what he describes as a recorded conversation involving a member of staff discussing the pricing of his vehicle.

“What concerns me even more is that I have a recorded conversation involving a member of staff discussing the pricing of my vehicle. This has raised serious questions about how my case is being handled,” he said.

He now says he is documenting the full experience and intends to expose what he believes is unprofessional conduct by staff at NCBA’s Bunyala Road Car Centre offices.

“I am in the process of documenting my experience and will be exposing what I believe to be unprofessional conduct by staff at the Bunyala Road Car Centre offices,” he stated.

The complaint adds to growing concerns from customers who feel that some banks are becoming increasingly aggressive in loan recovery while failing to communicate clearly and fairly with borrowers who are trying to regularise their accounts.

In this case, the customer says he was not refusing to pay the loan and had already cleared the arrears, only to be met with fresh demands that he clears the entire outstanding balance before release of the vehicle.

The issue now is whether NCBA clearly communicated this condition before the arrears were cleared, and whether holding the vehicle after arrears were paid is consistent with fair customer treatment.

The customer says his experience has made him lose confidence in the bank’s asset financing process.

“Based on my personal experience, I would advise anyone seeking asset financing to carefully evaluate all available options before choosing NCBA Bank. I hope the bank addresses this matter transparently and fairly,” he said.

NCBA should now explain whether the customer was formally informed that clearing arrears would not be enough to secure release of the vehicle, why the release has delayed, and whether any staff member discussed the pricing or disposal of the vehicle while the customer was still pursuing release.

For a bank that has built a major presence in vehicle financing, such complaints are not small customer service matters. They go to the heart of trust, fairness and how powerful lenders treat borrowers once recovery machinery begins moving.

The customer’s case now places NCBA under scrutiny over whether its recovery process is being handled professionally, transparently and with basic fairness to borrowers who are still willing to pay.