A man was on Tuesday charged before the Nakuru Magistrate’s Court for dealing in and possessing a specified endangered wildlife trophy without a permit.
The accused was allegedly found at Elburgon ward, Nakuru, on March 29 2025, at approximately 1720 hours, dealing in an elephant tusk weighing 47.3 kilograms, with an estimated street value of Sh4.7 million, without a valid permit or lawful exemption.
The accused denied the charges and was granted a bond of Sh150,000 or a cash bail of Sh100,000.
It is alleged that the Kenya Wildlife Service received intelligence about an individual suspected of possessing an endangered wildlife trophy and actively seeking a buyer.
Acting on this information, an undercover officer, accompanied by the informant, proceeded to Elburgon ward.
Upon arrival, the officer met the suspect and confirmed the authenticity of the elephant tusk.
The tusk was subsequently weighed and verified at 47.4 kilograms, leading to the suspect’s arrest by KWS officers.
The matter will be mentioned on April 9, 2025.
He was charged with the offence of possessing Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species Contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013.
The
seizure comes despite stringent measures in place to address the menace of
poaching in the country and region.
Elephant tusks 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 that 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.
