A Taveta man has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of dealing in elephant tusks weighing 3.5 kilogrammes and valued at KSh 350,000.

The sentence was secured by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

Joseph Mathias was found guilty of one count of dealing in a trophy of a critically endangered species, contrary to Section 92(2) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 (Revised 2018).

The case dates back to June 16, 2024, when Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers from the Kamboyo Investigation Team received information that two people in Chala, Taveta Sub-County, were allegedly in possession of elephant tusks and looking for a buyer.

Acting on the intelligence, the officers launched an operation in the Malkoriti area near the Chala Road Junction.

During the operation, the officers spotted Mathias, who matched the description provided by the informants, carrying a manila sack.

A search of the sack resulted in the recovery of three elephant tusks weighing a total of 3.5 kilogrammes. The tusks were valued at KSh 350,000.

Taveta Senior Principal Magistrate Cecilia Kithinji sentenced Mathias to five years in prison after the prosecution, led by Charles Mogaka (PPC) and Idris Tomno (PC), proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The court granted Mathias 14 days to appeal against the sentence.