On Monday, A Kabarnet court released three poachers possessing twelve Elephant tusks without a permit on a Kes1 million bond each.
Moses Tamar Buldoza, Philip Kipyator Kimosop, and Robert Chepkwony were charged with dealing in wildlife trophy of a specified endangered species without a permit or other lawful exemption contrary to Section 92 (2) and having a specified endangered wildlife trophy without a permit or other lawful exemption contrary to Section 92 (4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
The three were accused of dealing in twelve elephant tusks, which were considered trophies of an endangered species under Schedule Six, on June 25, 2023, at around 5 p.m. in Eldume village in Illchamus ward, Marigat sub-county, in Baringo County.
They were also accused of not having a permit or any other valid exemption granted under this act.
After having the allegations brought against them read to them before Senior Resident Magistrate Edwin Mulochi, they all entered not-guilty pleas.
The suspects were allegedly planning to sell the elephant tusks at the Eldume Sub Location when they were discovered by a multi-agency team made up of KWS employees and National Police Service agents acting on a tip from the general public.
In his argument, prosecution attorney Casmir Obiero asked the court to reject the three accused persons' requests for monetary bail due to the nature of the offence.
The Senior Resident Magistrate's decision mandated the release of the three defendants on a personal bail of Kes1 million each with one surety.
Mulochi ordered that the matter, where five witnesses are expected to testify, be mentioned on July 5 and heard on July 19.
