A police officer and a civilian have each been sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of trafficking and dealing in elephant ivory worth more than Sh2.9 million.
Naivasha Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan convicted Police Constable Dismas Mong’are, formerly attached to the Suswa Police Post in Mai Mahiu, and Dennis Okindo, ruling that both would serve the sentence without the option of a fine.
The two were charged and convicted for contravening the law in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (2013), which reinforced stiffer penalties and jail terms.
The duo was arrested on 30, June 2024 by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and National Intelligence officers in the Governor’s area along the Mai Mahiu-Naivasha highway by KWS officers.
The court heard that the officers, acting on a tip-off, posed as potential buyers and arrested the suspects with 20 pieces of elephant ivory weighing 29 kg concealed in polythene bags and estimated to have a street value of Sh2.9 million.
In his ruling, the magistrate said the prosecution, which presented seven witnesses, had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, adding that the judgement should serve as a strong warning to wildlife traffickers.
“This court finds Dismas Mong’are and Dennis Okindo guilty of two counts of trafficking and dealing in endangered wildlife species. I hereby sentence each to seven years in jail without the option of a fine,” ruled Ramathan.
The court also heard that phone records revealed the pair had been in regular communication and had exchanged images of the ivory through WhatsApp messages during the period of the offence.
A report presented to the court indicated that the 20 ivory pieces were from five different elephants, underlining the ongoing threat to wildlife conservation efforts.
According to Naivasha Director of Public Prosecutions Joseph Obwajo, Kenya’s elephant population has declined by 62 per cent over the past decade, leaving only about 36,280 jumbos.
Obwajo urged for stiffer penalties against offenders, warning that Kenya could lose over Sh300 billion annually if poaching networks which flourish in black market are not dismantled and perpetrators punished.
The recent ruling cements the government’s commitment to intensify the fight against poaching and illegal wildlife trade, especially of endangered species.
The pair have the right to appeal the sentences within 14 days if dissatisfied.
Kenya’s Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, enacted in 2013 and implemented in 2014 after assent by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta, has been credited with strengthening anti-poaching efforts.
In a landmark move in 2015, President Kenyatta oversaw the burning of more than 15 tonnes of confiscated elephant ivory, valued at about USD 30 million, in a symbolic stand against wildlife trafficking.
By Erastus Gichohi
