Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for unlawful possession of endangered wildlife trophies in Malindi.
In a statement, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the two were convicted by Senior Principal Magistrate Joy Shiundu Wesonga after the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The men were found guilty of possessing endangered wildlife trophies without a permit or lawful exemption, contrary to Section 92(4), as read with Section 105 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act.
In the ruling, the court dismissed the defence presented by the accused, finding that it did not raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.
“The court has considered the defense advanced by the accused persons and finds that it does not raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case. The defense is therefore dismissed, and the accused persons are found guilty as charged,โ the court ruled.
The court heard that the two men were arrested on January 17, 2025, after Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers intercepted a motorcycle in Malindi.
According to the statement, one of the men was riding the motorcycle while the other was a pillion passenger.
The officers searched luggage wrapped in a polythene sheet and secured with nylon straps, recovering nine pieces of elephant tusks weighing 5.8 kilogrammes.
โUpon search in their presence, KWS officers recovered nine pieces of elephant tusks weighing 5.8 kg with a street value of Sh580,000,โ the statement added.
The officers also recovered one leopard skin and one cheetah skin, concealed inside a white-and-yellow sack.
The court heard that the men did not have permits authorising them to possess the wildlife trophies.
