A 58-year-old man was charged after he was allegedly found in possession of wildlife trophies weighing approximately 18.5 kilograms in Migori County.
Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials put the value of the trophies at Sh2 million.
According to police and wildlife authorities, officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Isebania, acting on intelligence-led information, arrested the suspect at Kumumwamu area in Kuria West Sub-County on June 13, 2026.
The suspect was allegedly found with five cut pieces of elephant tusks and a hippopotamus tooth wrapped in a sack. The recovered wildlife trophies weighed about 18.5 kilograms.
The suspect was taken to Isebania Police Station and held in custody pending investigations.
On June 15, 2026, he was arraigned before the Kehancha Law Courts and was granted him bond of Sh400,000 with a surety of a similar amount.
The case is scheduled to proceed as authorities continue efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and trafficking in protected animal trophies.
This is the latest case of poaching amid efforts to address the menace.
This indicates elephants are being killed despite stringent measures in place to address the menace of poaching.
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 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.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta led world leaders and conservationists in burning the remains of elephants and rhinos killed for their tusks and horn.
Parliament has also passed strict anti-poaching laws and the government has beefed up security at parks to stop poaching, which threatens the vital tourism industry.
Regionally, Kenya has also emerged as a major transit route for ivory destined for Asian markets from eastern and central Africa.
The illegal ivory trade is mostly fueled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.
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