Mombasa man jailed 10 years for trafficking ivory worth Ksh.2.4 million

A Mombasa court has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing and dealing in elephant tusks valued at Ksh.2.4 million.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Abdi Mohamed Ali was convicted of two counts under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, following a detailed case presented by Principal Prosecution Counsel Barbara Sombo.

Appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo, the prosecutor called six witnesses, including Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and police officers, who detailed the events leading to Ali's arrest. 

The suspect, alongside his co-accused, Assad Mohammed Ahmed, was arrested on January 1, 2022, at Memon Villa in Mombasa’s CBD while planning to sell wildlife trophies of an endangered species without a permit.

The officers were reported to have laid an ambush and intercepted the suspects' black Toyota Aqua, KCZ 476P, as they attempted to reverse and flee.

A search of the vehicle uncovered a black bag containing a Nigerian-style bag and a green manila sack where seven cut elephant tusks and a digital weighing scale were concealed.

After reviewing the evidence, Magistrate Odhiambo ordered that the vehicle be forfeited to the State and that KWS destroy the recovered tusks. 

He also imposed a fine of Ksh.3 million, with a three-year jail term in default and another seven-year sentence for dealing in wildlife trophies without lawful exemption. The sentences will run concurrently.

In the case of Ali's accomplice, Ahmed, who absconded after being released on bond, the magistrate directed that he be arrested and sentenced upon apprehension.