CONVICTIONS rates of wildlife crimes could soon rise following the commissioning of a state-of the-art wildlife forensic and genetics laboratory at the Kenya Wildlife Service, which makes Kenya the second African country after South Africa to have such a facility.
The lab comes at a time demand for bush meat, wildlife trophies such as rhino horns and elephant tusks, skins of animals, feathers of birds, as well as live pets such as chameleons and parrots, is increasing at an alarming rate, resulting in direct loss of African biodiversity.
Currently many suspects of wildlife crimes in Kenya go free due to challenges of accurate identity of the confiscated products to species level.
In some incidents, effective prosecution is hampered by lack of concrete expert evidence that can link a poacher to a confiscated rhino horn or ivory and relate it to a specific poaching incident.
Ther laboratory will now help determine the species' source and analyse forensic evidence that could link it to a violation of wildlife law—and a human suspect.
Environment Cabinet secretary Prof Judi Wakhungu said the lab will aid in the provision of accurate identification of wildlife and wildlife products in order to strengthen prosecution.
“The criminal justice system can only work effectively and efficiently when concrete and uncontroverted evidence is adduced. This calls for modern technology to complement and corroborate the already existing source of evidence,” she said at the launch last week.
Prof Wakhungu says by applying wildlife DNA and forensic analysis, KWS and other agencies will be able to link beyond reasonable doubt wildlife crime offender to a particular offence, as well as aiding in accurate identification of exhibits to be produced in court.
This is critical because the rate of poaching for bush-meat and trophies is leading to alarming decline of wildlife biodiversity.
The rhino and the elephant, which are classified as critically endangered and endangered respectively under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Appendix 1 of CITES, are particularly affected.
According to KWS, both intelligence and investigation units staff to process wildlife crime scenes and collect evidence and samples for laboratory processing, have been trained.
They have undergone advanced trainings in various countries such as South Africa, Israel and USA.
They include molecular biologists and laboratory technicians. KWS has also gazetted prosecutors who to prepare and present evidence in courts of law.
Wakhungu said that Kenya is currently collaborating with South Africa to develop rhinoceros DNA indexing system to enable the country have credible gene and data bank of rhinos in the country.
KWS boss William Kiprono said tracing the origin of wildlife products has been a challenge but with the new lab, origin of the products will be possible to trace.
"Poachers better be warned, the commissioning of this lab will radically change the manner in which wildlife crimes are handled. We will now be in a position to reduce and eventually eradicate them," he said.
US ambassador Robert Godec said with the new lab, illegal wildlife trade, will soon be eradicated.
Head of wildlife unit at the director of public prosecution's office Gikui Gichohi said 12 prosecutors at least two in all counties and areas with high prevalence of illegal wildlife trade, have already been trained.
According to a study by WildlifeDirect, a local activist group, a total of 743 pending and closed wildlife related cases were registered in criminal registries of law courts in Embu, Isiolo, Kajiado, Karatina, Kerugoya, Makadara (Nairobi), Makindu, Maralal, Meru, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Narok, Nyahururu, Nyeri, Rumuruti, Voi, and Wajir towns between January 2008 and June 2013.
The towns were chosen because of their proximity to key conservation areas including Amboseli, Isiolo, Laikipia, Maasai Mara, Samburu and Tsavo as well as major ports through which wildlife trophies are known to be trafficked. The magistrates’ courts in these towns have jurisdiction falling within the target ecosystems. All cases are brought to court by the Kenya Police Service and/or the Kenya Wildlife Service and most are prosecuted by the Police.