The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured a five-year prison sentence for a Taveta man convicted of dealing in elephant tusks valued at Ksh350,000.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The man was convicted of dealing in a trophy belonging to a critically endangered species, contrary to Section 92(2) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, as revised in 2018.

His conviction followed an operation in Taveta, Taita-Taveta County, after wildlife officers received information about individuals allegedly possessing elephant tusks and looking for a buyer.

On June 16, 2024, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Kamboyo Investigation Team received intelligence and launched an operation in the Chala area.

📌 What You Need to Know

Officers later moved to Malkoriti near Chala Road Junction, where they spotted a man matching the description provided by their informant and carrying a manila sack.

A search of the sack uncovered three elephant tusks weighing 3.5 kilogrammes and valued at Ksh350,000. The prosecution, led by Charles Mogaka and Idris Tomno, subsequently presented evidence linking the suspect to the wildlife trophies.

Taveta Senior Principal Magistrate Cecilia Kithinji found the man guilty after prosecutors proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him to five years in prison; he was granted 14 days to appeal.

Although elephant poaching in Kenya has declined from previous years, ivory trafficking remains a concern, with the country serving as a source and transit route for some cross-border networks, particularly along the Tanzania-facing southern corridor.

Reported figures indicate that elephants killed for their tusks declined from 164 in 2014 to 16 in 2025, while Kenya's elephant population increased from 32,214 to 42,072 during the same period.

However, recent seizures show that the illegal ivory trade has not disappeared; cases reported in Namanga and Lunga Lunga have involved consignments ranging from several kilogrammes to more than 100 kilogrammes.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke