This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
Published on September 13, 2019, a Nanyuki court has handed down a 12-year prison sentence to Mohammed Hussein Warsame, a former Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) staff member, for his role in killing and dehorning a rhino and a buffalo at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia in June 2011.
The animals were found with gunshot wounds, and their horns, valued at Sh5 million, were plucked off.
According to court testimony, Warsame was dismissed from the wildlife agency in July 2009 after he deserted his work station at the Tsavo East National Park.
During the trial, Warsame denied committing the crime, but evidence presented by investigators and eyewitnesses pointed to his involvement.
Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku delivered the sentence, stating that the court was aware of the seriousness of poaching and its global implications, which threatened Kenya's wildlife.
The magistrate sentenced Warsame to two years in jail for the first count, seven years for the second count, and three years for the third, with the sentences to run consecutively.
