11 jumbos die for Sh7.25 million tusks

Five men suspects were arraigned on Friday in Kabarnet for alleged possession of 21 elephant tusks worth Sh7.25 million.

Eleven elephants died so that people, mostly in East Asia, can wear ivory jewellery and show ivory trinkets and carvings as symbols of their wealth and status.

The suspects are Kariuki Njoroge, Joseph Riwaren, Kurkamar Lokoriara, Turu Lokoriara and Amos Kamarinyang.

They were arrested by KWS while transporting elephant tusks of weighing  72.5kg at Ribko in Tiaty subcounty on Thursday afternoon.

“Twenty-one tusks mean 11  eleven elephants must have been killed, county Police Commander Robinson Ndiwa said.

He said police were investigating where the animals were killed and where they tusks were destined.

Ndiwa said the suspects were found ferrying the tusks on two motorcycles.

During the crackdown, KWS officers also recovered a hacksaw and a weighing machine.

The suspects denied the charges before Kabarnet senior principal magistrate Paul Biwott.

The prosecution requested strict bond terms, saying the offence was grave and the suspects did not carry ID cards, so their true identities were not known.

Ndiwa said the tusks may have been transported either from the Laikipia ranges or Uganda "because we have not heard of such huge elephant killing lately at Lake Kamnarok game reserve in Baringo."

“I urge the members of the public to give us information into arrest and have the criminals prosecuted so we can conserve our environment,” Ndiwa said.

He said there has been a recent migration of elephants from neighbouring Laikipia to Mau Forest and Timborua o the border of Baringo and Kericho counties.

“We understand during the migration there were some human-wildlife conflicts as the animals also destroyed crops but we already managed to calm down the situation,” he said.

The case will cme up for mention on September 13 and a hearing is scheduled for September 20.

(Edited by V. Graham)