Poachers risk Sh5m fine, 15 years jail in plans to protect elephants

Poachers have been put on notice by stiffer penalties proposed in the Wildlife Bill, which is set for introduction in the National Assembly.

Environment, Water and Natural Resources secretary Judi Wakhungu said poachers would be sent to jail for 15 years and fined Sh5 million for illegal killing of wildlife, which will be an economic crime once the Bill is enacted.

“The government has directed that all poaching cases be prosecuted as economic crimes. Once the new Wildlife Bill is enacted, the penalties and sentences will be punitive in order to discourage poaching and ivory traffickers,” she said.

Killing of animals for their trophies has in the past three years seen Kenya lose about 1000 elephants.

Currently, poachers incur a fine not exceeding Sh40,000 or a prison term not exceeding ten years, or both.

Ms Wakhungu was speaking on Wednesday during the launch of a new anti-poaching campaign dubbed “Hands off our Elephants”, which is fronted by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

It has been put together by conservation group Wildlife Direct in partnership with companies such as Kenya Airways and advertising company TBWA.

(Read: Cabinet approves stiff penalties to curb poaching)

The launch of the campaign coincided with former US defence attaché in Nairobi David McNevin being convicted of being in possession of ivory products worth thousands of shillings.

Mr McNevin was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) early this month as he boarded a flight to the Netherlands.

He was in possession of five ivory bangles, seven ivory finger rings, seven ivory pendants and two pieces of worked ivory weighing a total 800 grammes. He was arraigned in court on July 2 where he pleaded guilty and paid a fine of Sh40,000.

During President Barack Obama’s visit to Africa this month, the US pledged $10 million (Sh870 million) to combat ivory trade in Tanzania.

Last year, Kenya lost 384 elephants to poachers compared to 278 in 2011 and 177 in 2010. This year, Kenya has lost 172 elephants and 32 rhinos as increased demand for ivory driven by China prompts criminals.

Kenya has the fourth largest elephant population at about 38,000 and is one of the ‘gang of eight’ countries identified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) where poaching is rampant.

In March, Cites ordered Kenya to set clear targets for reducing the poaching and the trade in ivory.

The other countries listed for poaching are Tanzania and Uganda while China and Thailand are listed as major consumers. Malaysia, Vietman and the Philippines, are listed as major transit countries for ivory.

The recent seizure of ivory in different exit points of the country is a sign of efficiency by the country’s law enforcement team, according to KWS. Kenya has been identified as a major transit point of ivory to Asia, where there is high demand.

To curb the movement of ivory the government is looking to deploy modern technology and sniffer dogs from the KWS canine unit, in all major entry and exit points including Eldoret airport.