Truckloads of elephant tusks arrived in Nairobi on Friday afternoon
ahead of the world's biggest burning of ivory on April 30 .
The mass burning, the vast of it ivory and rhino horn stockpile, will amount to over 100 tonnes of ivory, seven times the size of any ivory stockpile destroyed so far, as well as 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will oversee the destruction at Nairobi National Park.
The tusks were transported under heavy security from regional strongrooms in national parks to KWS headquarters in Nairobi.
A KWS ranger arranges elephant tusks inside a shipping container at their headquarters as part of an estimated 106 tonnes of confiscated ivory to be set ablaze in Kenya's capital Nairobi April 15, 2016. REUTERS
"The ivory, confiscated from Voi, Mombasa, Nanyuki and other parts, amounts to about 106 tonnes of elephant tusks to be set ablaze," KWS said in a statement on Friday.
Some of the rangers were involved in arranging the
elephant tusks inside a shipping container at their headquarters.
The government issued a
for handing in all wildlife trophies, ivory and rhino horn ahead of the April deadline.
Environment CS Judi Wakhungu said anybody with items including jewelry made from ivory should be surrendered to the nearest KWS office.
She said during the launch those who adhere to the directive will not be prosecuted.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers carry elephant tusks at their headquarters as part of an estimated 106 tonnes of confiscated ivory to be set ablaze in Kenya's capital Nairobi April 15, 2016. REUTERS.
The burning of the ivory will be the involving heads of state, conservation experts, philanthropists and corporate leader including Richard Branson.
The aim of the summit to take place at Mount Kenya Safari Club in Laikipia is to develop a continent-wide response to illegal-wildlife trade.
Uhuru said the African leaders will use the opportunity to underline the global intent to put an end, once again, to the butchering of elephants and rhinos by selfish criminal gangs.
He noted that will be the first summit by the Giants Club, which he founded with the presidents of Botswana, Gabon, Kenya and Uganda.
Across Africa in the last three years, about 100,000 elephants have been killed and proceeds from the illegal trade used for armed conflict, terrorism and other crimes.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers carry elephant tusks at their headquarters in Kenya's capital Nairobi April 15, 2016. REUTERS