A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for dealing in pangolin scales valued at KSh300,000 in Taveta, Taita-Taveta County, following a successful prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Musa Ngondi was convicted of dealing in wildlife trophies belonging to a critically endangered species without a permit or lawful exemption, contrary to Section 92(2), as read with Section 105 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act.
The court heard that on July 23, 2025, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers from the Tsavo West National Park investigation team acted on a tip-off that individuals at Green Park Hotel were in possession of pangolin scales and seeking a buyer.
During the operation, one officer posed as a potential buyer and approached Ngondi, who matched the informant’s description. When asked to produce the merchandise, Ngondi removed four pangolin scales from his pocket and displayed them to the undercover officer.
The scales, wrapped in white netting and tied with nylon paper, weighed 0.096 grams and were valued at KSh300,000.
Taveta Senior Principal Magistrate Cecilia Kithinji sentenced Ngondi after the prosecution, led by Prosecution Counsel Charles Mogaka, proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court granted the convict 14 days to appeal against the sentence, according to the ODPP.
