By The Lusaka Times
Kenyan authorities are holding a Zambian woman who was arrested at the Kenya Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi with worked ivory.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said Kabanje Liseli Mwananguku was arrested on Wednesday evening for wearing ivory bangle weighing 100 grams with an estimated 30,000 shillings (300 U.S. dollars).
“She was intercepted by Kenya Wildlife Service officers in collaboration with other airport authorities at Terminal 1A departures while on transit to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania,” KWS said in a statement issued in Nairobi.
The suspect was due to face a charge of being illegally in possession of wildlife trophy at the law courts.
Cases of foreign nationals being arrested with ivory trophies at the airport have become common in recent days posing a major concern to the government. KWS said its putting in place strong measures across all entry and exit points, border checks and international airports to curb any illegal wildlife activities.
“Members of the public are therefore advised to report any person in possession of ivory trophies and other prohibited wildlife products to the nearest KWS offices or police station,” it said.
Meanwhile, KWS said Joseph Maina Irungu was fined 10,000 dollars or serve five years imprisonment in default for count one of illegally killing a wildlife species (zebra).
Irungu who appeared before at the Nyahururu law court was also fined 2,000 dollars or serve one-year imprisonment in default for the second count of illegally dealing in wildlife meat (zebra) and a further 10,000 dollars or serve a five-year jail term for the third count of illegal possession of wildlife trophy (zebra).
The second accused person, Stanley Chege, was given a cash bail of 20,000 dollars or a bond of a similar amount after he denied the charges.
According to the Wildlife Management Act 2013, any person who keeps or is found in possession of a wildlife trophy without permission, shall be liable upon conviction to a fine of not less than 10,000 dollars or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or both.
