Today’s Court Update
#8. June 24th, 2024 (Hearing): Today’s scheduled hearing did not take place and a pre-trial mention is now scheduled for July 8th.
by E.Gutu
Today’s proceedings in case number E030/24 were marked by confusion after it was discovered that a hearing had been erroneously scheduled instead of a pre-trial session.
The error came to light when one of the accused, Mr. Mutie, informed the court that he had not yet been served with the necessary statements. This revelation prompted an investigation into the scheduling mishap, revealing that the case had been mistakenly given a hearing date due to an administrative oversight.
On the previous pre-trial date, the 28th of May, Hon. Kitagwa was unavailable, and her cases were reassigned new dates in courtroom 1 by her colleague, Hon. Thuku. During this reassignment, case E030/24 was erroneously scheduled for a hearing instead of continuing with the pre-trial process.
All accused persons were present in court today. The court acknowledged the oversight and promptly rescheduled the pre-trial to the 8th of July, to ensure all necessary documents and statements will have been served to the accused persons.
Case Overview
Presiding Magistrate and Court: Hon. Renee K. Kitagwa – Senior Resident Magistrate Court 2 | |
State Counsel: | Advocates for the Accused: Not Represented |
Accused: 1. Joseph Mutuku 2. Julius Mwanduka Kiema 3. Alfred Nzoika Mutie | |
Charged:
| |
Date of Arrest: 2024-02-23 | Date of Arraignment: 2024-02-26 |
Location of Arrest: Narok | Contraband Seized: 27 kg (4 pieces) |
Proceedings
#2. March 11th, 2024 (Mention): All accused were present, still in custody and unrepresented. The file was called and then put aside. Before it could be recalled, at approximately 11:45 am, the court declared a 20-minute break and then did not reconvene until about 1:30pm. It was at this time that the court announced that all remaining proceedings would take place in Hon. Kitagwa’s chambers.
Three arrested in Narok with elephant tusks worth Sh2.7m
Kenya Wildlife Task Force Cracks Down on Elephant Ivory Traffickers in Operation Buzzard
In a significant move against wildlife trafficking, the Kenya Wildlife Task Force (KWTF) launched Operation Buzzard, resulting in the apprehension of three individuals involved in the illegal sale of elephant ivory. This operation marks the first collaborative effort since the recent integration of a Kenya Wildlife Service officer into the KWTF.
The arrested individuals were found in possession of a pair of single tusks weighing a total of 27 kgs, suspected to have been sourced from at least two different elephants. They now face charges under Section 92(2) of the Wildlife and Conservation Management Act, highlighting the ongoing commitment to combatting wildlife crime in Kenya.
