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Two individuals were arrested in Bungoma while attempting to traffic elephant tusks, thanks to a joint operation by officers from Cheptais Police Station and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) team from Kitale.
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According to the National Police Service (NPS), the suspects were intercepted at Cheptais Kipsis Junction while ferrying the tusks hidden in a blue sack on a motorcycle.
They are currently in custody and are expected to be charged with possession of wildlife trophies from endangered species, contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013.
The NPS reiterated its continued collaboration with partner agencies to safeguard Kenya’s wildlife and conserve the country’s natural heritage.
Elephant tusks remain a high-value commodity in illegal markets, particularly due to increasing demand in parts of Asia and the Middle East, where they are used in making ornaments and traditional medicine.
This arrest follows a similar incident on June 30, 2025, when two suspects were caught in Meru County with seven tusks weighing about 14 kilograms, valued at KSh1.5 million. They were arrested near Post Bank on Njuri Ncheke Street in Meru Town.
Earlier, on May 28, another bust in Kiritiri village, Embu County, saw three suspects—including a woman—arrested with 48 kilograms of ivory worth KSh4.8 million. The tusks had been packed in green gunny bags and were being transported via motorcycle along the Siakago-Kiritiri road.
KWS and police say they acted on intelligence that the suspects were seeking buyers for the illegal ivory.
