Homa bay: Three individuals have been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a court in Homa Bay for illegal possession of a rhino horn valued at Sh2.9 million. Among the accused is Benard Omondi Osunga, a Kenya Defence Force officer, and his accomplices, George Oloo and Argwings Watta. The trio was found with a horn weighing 2.9 kilograms in Rodi Kopany Township, Homa Bay County.
According to Kenya News Agency, the men were charged with dealing in a trophy of a specified endangered wildlife species, violating Section 105 of the Kenya Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, CAP 376 Laws of Kenya. They were apprehended while using a motor vehicle at Tausi Hotel in Rodi Kopany Township without the necessary permits.
In a second charge, the accused were found guilty of possessing a trophy of a specified endangered wildlife species, contrary to Section 92(4) as read with Section 105 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act. The court was informed that they had the rhino horn without a permit.
During mitigation, the accused requested leniency, citing that they were first-time offenders and had families dependent on them, including school-going children who would suffer from their imprisonment. Despite their pleas, Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Auka sentenced them to a seven-year jail term for the first count.
For the second count, each was fined Sh3 million or a five-year jail term if they could not pay the fine, with the sentences set to run consecutively. Magistrate Auka emphasized the importance of rhinos as a protected species, highlighting their role in tourism and the economic benefits they bring to Kenya.
The convicted individuals have 14 days to appeal the court’s decision. The court also summoned the owner of the vehicle used in transporting the rhino horn, requiring them to appear in court to justify why the vehicle should not be seized by the State.
