A man suspected to be part of a group that killed an elephant in Meru was on Monday arraigned before a Meru Court.
Kenneth Muthaura Mbaabu is being accused of killing the elephant together with others, not before the court.
The court heard that the group attacked the elephant and killed it in Lower Imenti, Buuri Constituency, Meru County.
The accused person was arrested after a video clip showing a group of people killing an elephant went viral on social media on November 19, 2019, but the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said that the incident happened on June 21, 2018.
Prosecutor Virginia Kariuki told Nanyuki Resident Magistrate Vincent Masivo that elephants are classified as an endangered species.
She asked the magistrate not to release the accused person on a cash bail but on bond and that every first day of the month while the case continues he should be reporting at the office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at Timau in Meru County.
“The suspect should be denied cash bail terms to secure his attendance to the DCI’s office due to the nature of the case,” said Kariuki as quoted by Nation.
The accused person, however, denied the charges before the court and through lawyer Thuku Mbaaro asked the court to grant him a cash bail arguing that there was no sufficient reason to deny his release.