NAIROBI, Kenya – Airport security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has intercepted a suspected ivory trafficking attempt after confiscating a walking stick made from an elephant tusk from a transit passenger.
The Congolese traveler, who was en route from Kinshasa to Burundi, was stopped after the item was detected during routine screening.
According to police, the passenger claimed the walking stick had been gifted to him by his grandfather as a symbol of family power.
Authorities, however, seized the item and allowed him to proceed with his journey as investigations began.
Officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service took custody of the ivory, whose value has not been disclosed.
Officials at JKIA say the case reflects evolving tactics by traffickers, who increasingly disguise banned wildlife products as personal or cultural items.
Investigators believe the walking stick may have been intended for sale elsewhere.
The global ivory trade remains illegal, but demand continues to drive poaching across Africa. Elephant tusks fetch high prices on the black market, with Asia and the Middle East identified as key destinations for illicit wildlife products.
Authorities warn that despite stricter enforcement, elephants are still being killed for their tusks, with Kenya serving as a major transit hub for ivory sourced from eastern and central Africa.
To counter the threat, Kenya has ramped up anti-poaching efforts, including the use of modern surveillance tools such as drones, intelligence-led operations, and community awareness programmes.
These measures have yielded progress, including zero rhino poaching recorded in 2020 — a milestone in nearly two decades.
In a symbolic move against wildlife crime, Kenya in 2016 destroyed 105 tonnes of ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn in a historic burn led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Authorities say enforcement remains tight, with enhanced airport screening and tougher laws aimed at protecting wildlife and safeguarding the country’s tourism sector.
