A middle aged man has been arrested with 80 Kilograms of game meat in Machakos County.
The man was on Tuesday nabbed with Wild beast meat at Kusyombunguo in Athi River by KWS rangers after his accomplices escaped.
Confirming the incident Machakos County chief warden David Mutwiwa said the suspect was caught transporting the meat in a wheelbarrow.
Mutwiwa said the incident was an indication that some unscrupulous businessmen were trading in game meat.
He warned residents against consuming game meat especially the Wild beast noting that unlike domestic animals which are less resistant to zoonotic attacks, Wild beasts can survive for years with diseases which are fatal to human beings once they feed on their meat.
Mutwiwa said with increasing cases of unauthorized meat having found itself into the market in various parts of the country, it is prudent to ascertain whether what one buys from any butcher is inspected to avoid being victims of deadly diseases.
“As poachers sell their meat, they do not care whether such products are fit for human consumption or not. This poses serious health risks to the consumers especially if such meat is infected," Mutwiwa said.
He said Kenya Wildlife Services is doing all it can to ensure those found killing wild animals with the intention of selling their products are hunted down and brought to book.
Mutwiwa said poaching had taken an upward trend in the area in recent months due to the mushrooming of high end eateries.
He said they were hunting for the suspect's accomplice who escaped during the crackdown.
The suspect has been detained at Machakos Police Station awaiting to be arraigned in court today.
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