Two men charged with trafficking elephant tusks worth Ksh6.2M

 

Bosco Thoya Katana and Emmanuel Kazungu Birya appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Jambi Wasige

Two men were on Thursday charged in a Garsen law court for illegal trafficking of elephant tusks worth Ksh6.2 million.

Bosco Thoya Katana and Emmanuel Kazungu Birya appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Jambi Wasige, where they denied the charges of dealing in elephant tusks contrary to Section 92 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act.

The court heard that on September 15, 2024, at around 9:30PM at Makuti Hotel in Minjila area, Tana Delta Sub County, the two, along with others not before the court, were found in possession of two pieces of elephant tusks weighing 62.42 kilograms, valued at Ksh6,242,000, without a permit.

The arrest followed a joint operation by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers and Ulinzi Africa Foundation, who acted on intelligence reports.

The suspects were nabbed at the scene, and the tusks were later taken to KWS offices in Garsen for safekeeping.

The tusks—one weighing 32.42 kilograms and measuring 7.4 feet, and the other 30 kilograms and 6.5 feet were reportedly being transported on a motorcycle.

The suspects were released on a cash bail of Ksh500,000 each or an alternative bond of Ksh2 million each.

The case will be mentioned on October 2, 2024.

By Dickson Wekesa