Writes Leo Odera Omolo.
For the first time, members of Kenyan Parliament on Tuesday night this week took the government to task in a tension parked and heated debate to explain why it has allowed the exportation of 247 tusks worth Kshs 380 million.
The elephant tusks in question were reported to have been shipped to Thailand in suspicious manner, but were later nabbed and impounded by the Thai customs officials in Bangkok.
The MPs were also shocked to learn that the company which is said to have exported the ivory tusks fro the Kilindini Port in the Kenyan coastal City of Mombasa does not exist.
The Forestry and Wildlife Minister Dr. Noah Wekesa who had partly answered a parliamentary question last week skipped the heated exchange and stayed away from the House, leaving the crucial matters to be handled by a junior Minister Hon Joseph Nanok.
The House was stunned by the Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo who kicked off the debate by tabling a letter from the Kenya Revenue Authority {KRA} indicating that the company that had exported the 247 tusks two months ago P.I.Prozen and Partners Limited is a ghost that does not exist.
The legislators were further shocked to learn that KRA had issued a Personal Identification Number { Pin number} to the ghost company to transact business in Kenya even when its directors were unknown.
“How can KRA issue a Pin number to a company it doesn’t even know?, Thundered Kilonzo amid the prolonged foot thumping by the stunned MPs.
He added, “this is bound to encourage illegal activities in this country,”
The disclosure seemed to have angered the House Speaker Kenneth Marende who promptly directed the Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti who was in the House to liaise with the taxman and deal with the “undesirable practice that has been embraced by the KRA.”
An Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife Joseph Nanok had earlier informed the Speaker that he had written to the KRA on Monday this week seeking to determine who the owner of the ghost export company was and that he had not so far received any response.
Kilonzo while on his feet on a point of order said that he had written to the KRA bosses on Monday this week seeking to get information and he had received no reply the following day and he wondered how that information is being availed on request.”IF the government Ministry cannot get information from one of its departments.” was there something fishy or the government is hiding something”
The Ol Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi told parliament that when goods are exported, there are several documents involved and he wondered how that information was not being availed to the MPs.
Meanwhile one of the Nairobi dailies has published a series of articles explaining that wild animal poachers in Kenya have of late identified soft targeting their quest for quick
The STANDARD reported that criminals have identified loopholes in the security operations, which they continue to exploit to their advantage,
The rhino poachers particularly have identified private game sanctuaries as the soft targets perhaps due to their perceived lack of adequate security. The poachers have also not spared elephants to their hunt.
“Ironically, the retired and serving Kenya Wildlife Service {KWS} rangers and other members the disciplined armed forces have been identified as the major threat to the wildlife.” says the report.
The report cited the recent killing of a poacher and the arrest of his colleague at the world famous Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Laikipia East District exposed the rotten side of some KWS officers and other disciplined forces.
One of the poachers was found to have been a former KWS ranger who was highly trained in anti-poaching skills while his colleague was a serving Kenya Army officer.
A sacked KWS identified as Mr Sonko Ole Kaparo was gunned down and Carbine rifle loaded with nine round of 5.5 mm caliber recovered. Also recovered during the 10PM shootout was a pier of plies, three spent cartridges, a mobile phone, suspected poisonous substance and a gunny bag.
The items were recovered from the deceased Ole Kaparo. The captured suspect was identified as one Hassan Heso Sabale from Moyale district in the North Eastern Province.
KWS has since raised alarm over increased attacks in private conservancies, which is scaring the resident communities who participate in wildlife conservation and the private conservancy proprietors.
Ends