Nyeri court fines poacher Sh1m for ivory possession
Zachary Mboya Kinyua in a Nyeri court on March 1, 2017. He was fined Sh 1 million for possession of ivory. PHOTO | JOSEPH WANGUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A Nyeri court has fined a man Sh1million or five years in jailterm in default for possessing elephant tusks worth Sh100,000.
Zachary Mboya Kinyua, a father of three, was convicted by Senior Resident Magistrate Phillip Mutua.
He was found guilty of possessing two elephant tusks weighing 600 grams on November 23, 2015 without a certificate of ownership.
The court heard that Kinyua was arrested by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers at Kabaru Forest in Nyeri. He was carrying the tusks in a sack and was also armed with a panga.
BRIBE
The court heard that the KWS officers were patrolling the forest when they met the accused who ran when stopped.
The rangers ran after him and he was found with the tusks when they caught him.
In his defence, the accused said he found the tusks on his farm while cultivating.
He also claimed that the officers beat him up and demanded for a bribe.
In his judgment, the magistrate noted that the prosecution had proved their case as evidence produced was credible.
“He should be punished for dealing with trophies of endangered species,” said the magistrate.
