Editor's Review

  • The scales have a street value of Sh157.
  • The suspects are linked to a JKIA clearing and forwarding official. 

Six people have been charged at Kibera law court after being found in possession of five boxes of pangolin scales worth Sh 157 million weighing 157 kilograms.

Edwin Wanambisi, Samson Momanyi, Burns Mwania, Patricia Kawila, Nicholas Ngutu and Solomon Muema were charged before Kibera senior principal magistrate Phillip Mutua. They denied the charges.

They committed the offense on December 27 at Total petrol station along Mombasa road. 

According to the police report, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Security team from KWS headquarters apprehended the suspects who were driving in two vehicles.

The boxes containing the pangolin scales had been stuffed in one of the vehicles while the suspects distributed themselves in either of the two motor vehicles.

All six suspects were interrogated at KWS headquarters and later booked at Langata police station.

The vehicle loaded with the contraband belongs to a clearing and forwarding agent based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. They were released on Sh5 million bond.

This year Pangolin smuggling has become the center of global attention as the animal is believed to be the source of the coronavirus that continues to ravage the globe.