NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 19- Members of Parliament have called for tougher action against rogue auctioneers accused of using goons and excessive force to seize property, warning that weak enforcement and inadequate penalties are leaving Kenyans vulnerable to intimidation, abuse and financial losses.The MPs said the conduct of unscrupulous auctioneers was not only tarnishing the reputation of legitimate practitioners but also undermining public confidence in the auctioneering profession.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 financial years 2018/19 to 2024/25.The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, pressed the board to explain the measures it was taking to deal with unlicensed and rogue auctioneers, particularly those accused of working with gangs to execute their assignments.Maungu said the board needed to restore order in the sector 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 said, warning that rogue practitioners were “tainting the name of the good ones”.He urged the board to take decisive action against practitioners operating outside the law, saying stronger regulation was necessary to restore sanity in the sector.The committee also raised concerns over how some auctioneers execute warrants, particularly allegations that they enlist goons and other unauthorised individuals to intimidate or overpower people whose property is being seized.MPs said enforcement of court orders and recovery of debts must be conducted within the law and should not become an avenue for harassment, intimidation or violence.Auctioneers Licensing Board Chief Executive Officer Festus Terer told the committee that the board had been engaging the police leadership to ensure auctioneers use lawful enforcement mechanisms rather than private gangs.Terer said he met Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja in May, accompanied by several board members, to discuss challenges facing the industry.He said the board had also sensitised auctioneers on the need to involve the police where necessary instead of using force or unauthorised groups to execute their duties.“We want auctioneers to use police, not homes,” Terer told the committee, saying the engagement with the police was part of broader efforts to restore order in the sector.He said the discussions with the police were ongoing and expressed optimism that closer cooperation between the board and security agencies would help curb misconduct.Central Imenti MP Moses Kirima, however, said suspending rogue auctioneers was not enough to protect victims or compensate people who suffer losses as a result of misconduct.Kirima said the board must establish an effective mechanism through which people whose property or money had been mishandled could obtain redress.“When you are dealing with auctioneers, you have to take care of the people who are affected by the auctioneers,” he said.The MP said some auctioneers appeared to act without regard for the plight of people whose property they were hired to seize, while others allegedly failed to remit proceeds from sales to the owners or agents who had contracted them.He challenged the board to explain what happens to victims after an auctioneer is suspended.“What procedure do you use to make sure that that auctioneer compensates the person for whom he was carrying out the work?” Kirima asked.He argued that disciplinary action alone could not adequately address losses suffered by victims.“Suspending alone is not enough,” he said, noting that people whose property or money had been lost would remain disadvantaged even after an auctioneer was removed from the register.Terer said the board was empowered to inspect auctioneers and had intensified inspections as part of efforts to weed out rogue operators.He said an inspection exercise conducted in June exposed several compliance gaps, including auctioneers who did not have proper offices.According to Terer, some practitioners rushed to the board’s offices after discovering they were not compliant.“It was a one-week event, but after three days, a lot of auctioneers were streaming to our offices because they don’t have offices, asking for change of addresses,” he said.Terer described inspections as a critical first step in identifying and dealing with rogue operators.He told MPs that the board needed greater support from Parliament and other government institutions to expand its enforcement capacity, including partnerships with agencies whose personnel could assist with inspections and enforcement operations.However, Terer said the board’s ability to compensate victims of misconduct was constrained by the law governing its operations.He said the Auctioneers Act limited the circumstances under which the board could order compensation, creating a legal gap that Parliament may need to address.“The problem is the Act,” Terer said, referring to Section 24 of the law.He explained that the board had previously attempted to order compensation for people affected by misconduct, but its authority had been challenged in court.According to Terer, the High Court had questioned the legal basis for the board to order compensation, leaving the regulator with limited options when dealing with victims seeking restitution.The committee is expected to scrutinise the board’s regulatory and enforcement mechanisms further as it examines the Auditor-General’s reports covering the seven financial years.The MPs’ concerns come amid complaints about the conduct of some auctioneers, particularly during property seizures, with the committee insisting that enforcement of court orders and debt recovery must not become a licence for intimidation, violence or abuse.Maungu said stronger regulation would protect both members of the public and legitimate auctioneers whose businesses were being undermined by rogue practitioners.The committee also pointed to the need for a more comprehensive regulatory approach combining inspections, police cooperation, disciplinary measures and effective compensation mechanisms to ensure victims of unlawful conduct are not left without recourse.Terer said the board’s engagement with the police was intended to ensure auctioneers rely on lawful security mechanisms when executing their mandates rather than resorting to private goons.MPs said the ultimate test of the regulator would be its ability not only to discipline rogue auctioneers but also to prevent abuse and provide meaningful redress to Kenyans who suffer losses in the process.The committee is expected to make recommendations on strengthening the regulatory framework, enforcement powers and mechanisms for protecting members of the public from unscrupulous auctioneers.