A bus driver and his conductor are in police custody after a live snake was discovered hidden inside a wooden box aboard a Kidia One Express bus at the Namanga border in Kajiado County.
According to Ferdinand Amaumo, a Customs officer at the Namanga border, the snake was found during a routine luggage inspection at the passenger bus conducted by members of a joint operations team comprising customs and police officers.
The luggage which had a sender and recipients telephone numbers had been labeled as motor vehicle spare parts, but upon a thorough search, a live snake was discovered concealed inside a wooden box.
The team contacted the Kenya Wildlife Service, which dispatched a trained snake handler who safely removed the reptile from the box.
Confirming the incident, OCPD Oloilalei Namanga, Julius Munyagia, said efforts are underway to apprehend the main suspect believed to be the owner of the consignment, who was allegedly waiting to receive it within Kenya.
Munyagia cautioned individuals engaging in illegal activities along the border that they will be apprehended and face the full force of the law.
The incident comes barely three months after a bus from the same company was intercepted transporting cannabis worth Sh2.5 million to Nairobi, raising concerns over continued cases of illegal trafficking through the Namanga border.
The two suspects are currently being held at Namanga Police Station awaiting arraignment in court as investigations continue.
by Diana Meneto
