Two men fined Ksh.1M each for possessing elephant tusk worth Ksh.500K in Kilifi

Two men have been convicted of possession of an elephant tusk weighing about five kilograms valued at Ksh.500,000 without lawful authority.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate J. Mwaniki on Thursday, Samuel Kazungu Duka, 50, and Nelson Kiringi Nzai, 25, were each fined Ksh.1 million or, in default, to serve two and a half years in prison.

“Elephants are classified as an endangered species, and their tusks are strictly protected under Kenyan law due to the continued threat of poaching and illegal wildlife trade. The accused were charged under Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, which criminalises the possession of wildlife trophies without authorisation,” the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) stated.

The court heard that the duo was arrested on September 12, 2023, at around 12.30 pm in the Chumani area of Kilifi North Sub-County after they were intercepted by law enforcement officers acting on credible intelligence.

The officers then recovered an elephant tusk concealed in a yellow nylon sack without any permit or lawful authority.

In her judgment, Chief Magistrate Mwaniki found that the recovered tusk constituted a protected wildlife trophy and noted that the accused persons had no permit or lawful justification for its possession.

ODPP hailed the conviction, which it says is critical in its fight against wildlife-related offences and reinforcing Kenya’s commitment to protecting endangered species through firm prosecution and deterrent penalties.