Kenya is set to burn illegal ivory on Saturday this week.
Environment CS, Judy Wakhungu revealed that the ivory was obtained illegally through the killing of elephants hence the burning to discourage the act. Wakhungu said that illegal trade of ivory commands a market of approximately sh1 trillion per year.
This comes after a man was arrested in Githurai with illegal ivory and another case of tonnes of ivory nabbed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The ivory was packed as a parcel which was on transit to another country.
Kibera MP, Ken Okoth also condemned the killing of elephants in the country. He said the poachers secretly kill elephants to obtain ivory which they sell to overseas markets. Okoth called on the government to protect elephants. He called on the authorities to arrest and penalise all poachers.
Wakhungu said that the biggest ivory stockpile set to be burned on Saturday is the biggest stock in the world to be burnt. The stockpile weighs about 120 tonnes of both ivory and rhino horns.
The exercise which will be carried out to save the elephants is dubbed the battle for the jumbos.