Tana River court hands 15-year sentence to dik-dik poachers
Kaviha Charo, Katana Unda and Bugo Suluhu at a Voi court on July 5, 2021, when they were each sentenced to 16 years in prison for poaching.
A court in Garsen, Tana River County has sentenced three men to 15 years in prison each for poaching.
In the ruling made on Thursday, the court also imposed a fine of Sh3 million for each of the men on three accounts.
Sharif Ngala (39), Kingi Charo (25) and Baraka Thoya (20) pleaded guilty to poaching 140 dik-diks, three teramuks and porcupine meat before senior principal magistrate Paul Rotich.
The court found the trio guilty of dealing in wildlife carcass, killing wildlife species without a permit and being in possession of wildlife trophies.
"These three are a danger to wildlife conservation and have caused an imbalance in the ecosystem through their actions," he said.
Each of the counts attracted a fine of Sh1 million, with the 15-year sentences set to run concurrently.
The three were arrested on Tuesday at Didima Bula in Tana Delta Sub-County with game poached from Malkahalaku Community Conservancy.
Also found in their possession were four motorbikes, torches, and a sound horn.
The poachers will serve their jail terms at the Malindi Prison.
The sentence comes just days after a Voi court jailed another set of poachers for 16 year after they were found in possession of 187 dik-diks in Galana Ranch, Kilifi County.
Kavila Charo, Katana Unda, and Bugo Suluhu pleaded guilty on June 21 to three charges related to poaching wildlife and will serve their jail terms at Manyani Maximum Prison.
