Kenya Wildlife Services personnel in Mwingi arrested two suspected poachers with wild game meat weighting 10 kgs at the weekend. The alleged game hunters, Muthui Mutua and Muthui Mutisya from Mui location in Mwingi Central district, were also found in possession of bows and poisoned arrows.

Speaking to the media at the Mwingi KWS offices, where the suspects were briefly held before being taken to Mwingi Police station, deputy officer in charge Fredrick Owino said the suspects were notorious for hunting wild game and trading in the meat. He said the arrests were the culmination of long drawn investigations.

Owino said the duo would soon be charged with poaching and trading in wild game products. He said the antelope meat the suspects were found in possession of would be produced in court as an exhibit.

The suspects were arrested at Katura village, Enziu location by Kanzui assistant chief Nicholas Munyoki Mwasa who coordinated the arrest.

Muasa told the media in Mwingi town that on searching the suspects after their arrest, he recovered rolls of bhang from their pockets. He said a charge of being in possessions of bhang will also be preferred against them. The administrator said he had earlier warned the suspects to stop their criminal ways. He had established that the suspects have been killing at least ten antelopes and dik diks daily and selling the meat at local markets.

The chief said the suspects resisted arrest and even threatened to shoot him with the poisoned arrows, but reinforcement from KWS personnel led to the eventual arrest of the suspects.

The KWS’s Owino appealed to the area residents to spare the wildlife animals noting that it was an offence to kill or even trade on wildlife animal’s meat .He said patrols would be intensify patrols in the area to check the arbitrary hunting of wild animals.

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