Fifteen traders at the Burma market in Nairobi were on Monday charged with selling bush meat worth Sh800,000.
The charge sheet showed the suspects were found selling bush meat of wildlife species on June 27 at about 4 pm.
They were with others who were not before the court.
Police ambushed the traders in a stall where they were allegedly selling 800kg of giraffe and zebra meat that was contained in four deep freezers, without a permit.
Francis Macharia, Godfrey Muraya, Julius Ngugi, Charles Mwema, Ephantus Mugo, John Mwangi, Paul Kigotho, Jeremiah Gichuki and Elisper Muthoni were arrested on Thursday.
Others were Susan Muthoni, Jerusha Njeri, Martha Opilu, Leah Irungu, Maureen Karimi and Margaret Macharia.
They were arraigned before Kibera senior principal magistrate Derrick Kuto at the Kibera Law Court where they denied the charges.
Police opposed their bail arguing that the team has an extension that is still at large. The prosecution said those at large pose a great threat to Kenya’s mainstream source of foreign exchange.
According to the prosecution, the team is led by the first accused Macharia, whom police believe is the ring leader of the bushmeat trade in Nairobi and Kajiado.
“The associates of the accused persons are still at large and are yet to be arrested,” prosecutor Charles Mwangi said.
Mwangi said an associate named Anthony Irungu was on a warrant of arrest issued by the Kibera court for a similar offence.
He argued that if granted bail, the first accused is likely to interfere with investigations and the arrest of the suspects at large.
The prosecution said the suspects would pose a great danger to public safety and health due to the possibility of contracting animal diseases from consumption or exposure to bushmeat.
“The wildlife is being poached at an alarming rate which may lead to the extinction of some of the iconic species. The accused has declined to disclose his place of aboard and may not follow through the proceeding to determination,” Mwangi said.
Macharia said the prosecution had not proven that the entire stock of meat belonged to him and that he is the ring leader.
“The issue of public safety is farfetched since the meat is yet to be proven to be from the said wild animals. There is no basis to deny him bail,” his lawyer said.
The defence counsel urged the court to release the accused on reasonable bond terms since he was a first offender and was not a flight risk.
Kuto will make a ruling on the bail application on Tuesday at 12.30 pm.
edited by peter obuya
