This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
On November 19, 2019, a shocking video emerged on social media showing a group of men hacking an elephant to death in Imenti Forest, Meru county. The Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) later confirmed that the incident occurred on June 21, 2018.
After a month-long investigation, KWS identified and arrested one of the suspects, Kenneth Baabu Muthaura, on Monday. He was arraigned in a Nanyuki court and denied the charges of killing an elephant.
According to KWS, the attackers took advantage of the elephant's immobility after it had been injured and descended on it with machetes. The bone samples from the dead animal were taken for DNA forensic matching with the tusks to be presented as evidence in court.
Muthaura was released on a Sh300,000 bond and the case will be mentioned in January 2020. KWS assistant director Michael Wanjau revealed that 10 other suspects identified from the video were being sought.
