This archive report was first published on 20 November 2019.
On November 20, 2019, a video clip showing residents of Ruiri in Meru County slashing an elephant went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage and calls for investigation.
The video, which has not been dated, shows people using pangas to slash the elephant, leaving it struggling to stand. According to Ngugi Gecaga, acting head of corporate at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the incident took place in early 2018.
When KWS officers arrived at the scene, they found the elephant in distress and unable to walk due to its injuries. Despite the presence of KWS officers, the residents fled the scene, and no arrests were made.
As a result, KWS officers were forced to put down the elephant and remove its tusks. The motive behind the release of the video nearly two years after the incident is still unclear, and KWS is working to establish its origin and identify those involved.
Justus Nyamu, executive director of the Elephant Centre and honorary warden of the Mount Kenya region, condemned the act as 'barbaric' and 'heinous.' He called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice.
