This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On June 29 and 30, 2011, Hussein Warsame committed a heinous crime, killing a rhino and stealing its two horns worth Sh5 million at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County.
Published on September 13, 2019, the case against Warsame, a former Kenya Wildlife Services employee turned poacher, had been ongoing for two years, with the prosecution presenting 10 witnesses who linked him to the crime.
According to the prosecution, Warsame was dismissed from KWS in July 2009 after he deserted his work station at Tsavo East National Park.
During the sentencing, Nanyuki Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku stated, “The court is alive to the fact that poaching is a serious crime that is taking a global trend and threatening Kenya’s wildlife that is a big tourist attraction.”
Warsame denied the charges, but the court found him guilty of killing the rhino and taking its horns, as well as killing a buffalo.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and remained silent throughout the sentencing, refusing to defend or mitigate his actions.
