Officer among suspects nabbed with Sh2.9m ivory

Police in Naivasha are holding two suspects, who include an Administration Police officer for being in illegal possession of 20 pieces of ivory worth Sh2.9 million.

The suspects, Dismus Omari Mongari, an Administration Police officer (AP) attached to the Administrative Unit stationed in Suswa in Narok and Dennis Okinda Atuke were arrested in Maai- Mahiu on Sunday evening following intelligence information.

Confirming the arrest, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Naivasha Senior Warden, Francis Mutuku Mutisya said the elephant tusks were concealed in two bags ready for transportation to Nairobi. The suspects have now been handed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers in Naivasha for further investigations before their arraignment in court.

Mutisya noted that poaching of wildlife in the country for meat, ivory and other trophies is an indication that there is a ready market for these trophies.

In December 2013, Kenya overhauled its wildlife regulatory legal framework and enacted a new law, the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013. 

Financial penalties

Among the most notable changes the new law introduced was an intense increase in both custodial and financial penalties for wildlife related offences but this has not done much to reduce poaching.

This legislation imposes stringent penalties on offenders, including heavy fines and imprisonment upon conviction which if found guilty, the law imposes severe penalties, including fines of up to Sh20 million and or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years.

The increase of poaching is blamed on the increased demand for ivory and other wildlife products in Asia and some countries in Southern Africa. The elephant tusks and the rhino horns are said to be most sought after trophies in some Asian countries.

Illegally obtained ivory and tusks are primarily trafficked to international markets, including countries in Asia such as China and Vietnam. These markets demand ivory for various purposes, including ornamental and medicinal uses, despite international bans and restrictions.

Destination markets

Once smuggled to destination markets, ivory is often carved into decorative items, jewellery, and traditional medicine components, contributing to continued demand despite global conservation efforts.

Kenya imposed a national ban on poaching and the trade in ivory in 1989 under the leadership of the late President Daniel arap Moi. This decision was driven by the rising threat to elephant populations in the country due to illegal hunting for ivory, which posed a serious danger to Kenya’s wildlife heritage.

In June 2016, Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta made a public spectacle by setting ablaze a collection of over 100 tons of ivory and rhino horns that had been seized from poachers in various parts of the country in Nairobi National Park in an effort to make the country`s stand on poaching clear.

The country is still recovering from a drought that ravaged parts of the country for five consecutive seasons with inadequate rain in the past two years, which severely affected people and animals, including livestock. This was followed by a devastating flood across the country in the recent months also affected wildlife, property and caused loss of lives.

The worst-affected ecosystems by the drought were home to some of Kenya’s most-visited national parks, reserves and conservancies, including the Amboseli, Tsavo and Laikipia – Samburu areas.