Police in Homa Bay have arrested three individuals, including a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) sergeant, for possession of a rhino horn valued at KSh 2.9 million. The horn, weighing 2.9 kilograms, was discovered during a multi-agency operation on New Year’s Eve in Rodi Market following intelligence on illegal trophy sales.
The suspects were apprehended in a black car near a hotel in Rodi Kopany Trading Centre, where police also seized the vehicle used for transporting the horn. Investigators suspect the rhino horn originated from Ruma National Park.
Homa Bay DCI commander Peter Kimulwo stated that authorities are pursuing additional suspects linked to a poaching syndicate in the park. The arrested individuals will face charges under Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013 for possessing trophies of endangered species.
Officials confirmed the horn belonged to a slain rhino, despite Kenya’s stringent anti-poaching measures. The illicit trade in elephant tusks and rhino horns persists due to high demand in Asia and the Middle East, where they are used for ornaments and traditional medicine.
Kenya has implemented high-tech surveillance, drones, community education, and interagency collaboration to combat wildlife crime, achieving zero rhino poaching cases in 2020—a first in two decades. In 2016, the country burned 105 tonnes of ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn to deter poaching.
However, Kenya remains a key transit route for ivory smuggling to Asian markets from eastern and central Africa.
