Four people were Tuesday convicted to five years in prison for possession of two elephant tusks valued at Sh1.6 million in Makueni County.
Senior Principal Magistrate at Makindu Benson Ireri convicted and sentenced Joshua Mwengea Mwanzia, Mashuba Ivuti, Tito Munguti, Muema Kamuti to pay a fine of Sh1 million and, in default serve five years imprisonment each for being in possession of the tusks without a permit.
On June 18, 2017, Kenya Wildlife Service officers were alerted that four people in Kibwezi township were looking for a buyer to sell elephant tusks, after which they were ambushed and arrested.
The prosecution led by Catherine Ngari called a total of four witnesses and proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
They were charged with dealing in wildlife trophies of an endangered species without a permit or other lawful exemptions, contrary to Section 92(2) as read with Section 105(1) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013.
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.
Officials say despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, 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.
Kenya Wildlife Service and other 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.
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