Two Arrested, Gun, 10 Kilos of Ivory Recovered in Molo 

Two suspects were Wednesday arrested and a rifle recovered from them in Molo, Nakuru County. 

Police said they also recovered ten kilograms of elephant tusks from the suspects in Posta area near National Bank.

Police confronted two men who were riding a motorcycle while carrying two black bags and on searching they recovered a CZ EVO 3 Scorpion rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition and five pieces of elephant tusks weighing approximately 10 kilograms.

The ivory are valued at Sh1 million, police said.

Preliminary inquiry revealed the suspects came from Nakuru and were in the process to deliver the cargo to a buyer in Molo before they were arrested.

This is the latest seizure of ivory to be made in a series in the past months.

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 fuelled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.