Police in Homa Bay arrested three people, including a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) sergeant after they were found in possession of a rhino horn valued at Sh2.9 million.
The horn that the three had weighs 2.9 kilogrammes, police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said.
A multi-agency team was conducting an operation on New Year's Eve in Rodi Market and based on intelligence some people were out to sell the trophy when they found it.
The suspects were travelling in a black car at the time of the arrest, police said.
Homa Bay County Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) commander Peter Kimulwo said the suspects were arrested Tuesday evening at a hotel in Rodi Kopany Trading Centre, on the outskirts of Homa Bay Town.
During the arrest, police also recovered the private vehicle which the suspects used to transport the rhino horn.
Investigators suspect the three got the rhino horn from Ruma National Park.
Kimulwo said his officers are still pursuing other suspects linked to a syndicate of poachers operating in Ruma National Park.
Police announced they would face charges for possessing wildlife trophies from endangered species, violating Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013.
Officials said the seizure showed a rhino had been killed.
This is despite stringent measures in place to address the menace of poaching in the country and region.
Elephant tusks and rhino horns fetch a fortune in the black market as a surge in demand for ivory in the East continues to fuel the illicit trade in elephant tusks, especially from Africa.
The illegal ivory trade is mostly fuelled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.
Officials say despite a ban on the international ivory trade, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers.
As part of efforts to stop the menace, Kenya has started using high-tech surveillance equipment, including drones, to track poachers and keep tabs on elephants and rhinos.
KWS and stakeholders have put in place mechanisms to eradicate all forms of wildlife crime, particularly poaching.
These mechanisms include enhanced community education, interagency collaboration, and intensive intelligence-led operations, among others.
These efforts led to zero rhino poaching in Kenya in 2020-the first time in about two decades.
On April 30, 2016, Kenya set ablaze 105 tonnes of elephant ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn.
Regionally, Kenya has also emerged as a major transit route for ivory destined for Asian markets from eastern and central Africa.
