Three suspected poachers were arrested over the weekend in Nkubu, Meru County, while transporting two pieces of elephant tusks weighing 60 kilograms and valued at approximately Sh6 million. The arrests were made during a night operation on April 11, 2025, by a joint security team comprising police officers and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel.
According to officials, the suspects had concealed the tusks in a sack inside a salon car. Authorities suspect the ivory originated from an elephant killed in the nearby Meru National Park. Investigations are ongoing to establish the full network behind the illegal trade and to apprehend more suspects linked to the poaching ring.
The three suspects are expected to be arraigned in court, facing charges of being in possession of wildlife trophies of endangered species contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013.
This incident comes despite intensified national and regional efforts to curb wildlife crime. Poaching continues to be driven by high demand for ivory, particularly in parts of Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks are used to make ornaments and traditional medicine.
Kenya has implemented several measures to combat poaching, including high-tech surveillance tools such as drones, enhanced community awareness campaigns, and interagency collaborations. These efforts have led to significant milestones, such as zero rhino poaching cases in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years.
The country has also taken bold steps to send a strong anti-poaching message globally. In 2016, former President Uhuru Kenyatta oversaw the burning of 105 tons of elephant ivory and 1.35 tons of rhino horn — the largest such destruction in history — symbolizing Kenya’s commitment to ending the ivory trade.
Despite bans on international ivory trade, Kenya remains a key transit hub for ivory smuggled from central and eastern Africa, posing ongoing challenges for law enforcement.
Authorities reaffirm their commitment to eradicating poaching and protecting Kenya’s wildlife heritage, which remains critical to the nation’s biodiversity and tourism industry.
