A multi-agency team comprising Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers and National Intelligence Service (NIS) officers has arrested two farmers suspected of involvement in the poisoning of elephants within the Amboseli ecosystem between June 24 and July 26 in Kajiado County.
"The death toll has risen to 18 so far. One more elephant is under close supervision of our (KWS) vets. Our (KWS) vets are moving in earnest to ensure the numbers don't rise further," Mr Wambi told the Nation on Friday.
Earlier, during World Ranger Day celebrations at Tsavo West National Park on Friday, July 31, KWS Director-General Prof Erustus Kanga said preliminary laboratory analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had detected traces of cyanide in their digestive systems.
Prof Kanga said, according to post-mortem examination reports by KWS veterinarians, the animals had ingested pesticides sprayed on nearby tomato farms within Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and the Kuku Group Ranch area, where the deaths occurred.
On July 30, KWS requested the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) to establish and lead a multi-agency technical team to examine and investigate whether pest-control products or other crop-protection chemicals may have been improperly used, stored or disposed of in Kimana, Kuku, Kitenden and the wider Amboseli ecosystem, and whether water, soil or forage may have been contaminated.
KWS has also been examining whether giant star grass (Cynodon plectostachyus), a cyanogenic species, could have contributed to the exposure, although it has not released the report.
The Amboseli ecosystem hosts multiple large-scale farms, some bordering wildlife migration corridors. The Nation has established that the arrest of the two farmers followed a National Intelligence Service undercover investigation on several farms within the Amboseli ecosystem over the past two weeks.
According to a source privy to the investigation, the officers were engaged as casual labourers on the farms while conducting the operation incognito. Authorities arrested one farmer of Tanzanian origin, suspected of being the mastermind, in Nairobi on Thursday night, while arresting a second suspect in Kajiado County.
Several other farmers, including one associated with local politics, are being treated as persons of interest and were pursued on Friday as multi-agency security officers combed several farms for more evidence.
"It's now clear the animals drank water laced with cyanide, strategically placed where animals could not miss the water jar. We suspect the cyanide could have been smuggled into the country from the neighbouring country," said the source, who spoke in confidence as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
"We have also established that the culprit had planned to kill more animals, but we are yet to know the motive."
Cyanide is a fast-acting and extremely powerful chemical poison consisting of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. While cyanide is not a registered or legal active ingredient in modern commercial tomato pesticides, illegal or off-label use of lethal poisons on crops can occur in areas affected by human-wildlife conflict.
"So far, two male suspects are in custody. The multi-agency team is pursuing more. The suspects will be arraigned in due course. We must protect the wildlife that is our National pride," said Mr Wambi.
Over the years, Amboseli National Park in Kajiado County, which spans 392 square kilometres, has remained one of the country's premier tourist destinations. It derives its name from the Maasai word Empusel, meaning "salty, dusty place" in Maa. The park is known for its large herds of elephants.
The park remains a major economic artery, both nationally and for the local community. At least 80 per cent of the wildlife lives outside the park.
Meanwhile, the Kajiado County Government, through the Department of Tourism and Wildlife, has declared the incident a One Health emergency, warning that its implications extend beyond wildlife conservation to public health, livestock, biodiversity, food security, water resources and the livelihoods of communities that depend on the Amboseli ecosystem.
"It represents a serious concern with potential implications for public health, livestock, biodiversity, tourism, food security, water resources, rural livelihoods and the ecological balance that sustains communities and wildlife across the Amboseli ecosystem," the county said. It also suggests that the death toll could be higher than 18.
"Investigators should also reconstruct elephant movements using GPS collar data, ranger patrol records and verified community observations to determine the most likely source, timing and pathway of exposure. The conclusions of this investigation must ultimately be guided by evidence, verified findings and a transparent review process," read the statement signed by Tourism and Wildlife CECM Jeremiah Ole Ncharo.
