Serial poacher surrenders to avoid life sentence

By PETER ORENGO

ISIOLO, KENYA: Apoacher in the world-renowned Lewa Downs Conservancy last week gave himself up to the authorities in Isiolo County.

Keleshi Parkusaa, 39, also surrendered a gun and 10 rounds of ammunition at a public forum organised by the conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and witnessed by elders from the Samburu community, County administrators and the police.

But the government is elated that punitive measures it has put in place will even lead to more poachers surrendering. According to the new Wildlife Bill that was ascented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 24 last year, those involved in poaching face a penalty of life imprisonment, a fine of Sh20 million, or both.

“The stiff punishment will now deter the would-be poachers. We know that those who do the poaching are the small people while their bosses wait in cities to receive the trophies. This business is over,” said Wilbur Otichillo, a former KWS chief scientist who authored the new law, and is now the Emuhaya Member of Parliament.

The new law has also increased compensation for deaths and injuries caused by wildlife to Sh5 million and Sh2 million respectively. Compensation for life lost to a wild animal has been increased to Sh5 million. Those who are maimed will receive Sh3 million while those injured will receive a maximum of Sh2 million, depending on the extent of the injury.

Parkusaa, who is also a former employee of Lewa Downs Conservancy, told a hushed audience how he organised the killing of wildlife even when he was employed to protect them for three years.

“While working here, I used to director fellow poachers on where to locate rhinos in the conservancy and would derail fellow game scouts to the opposite direction,” Parkusaa said.

His latest slaughter was on December 12, 2013 when he and his two accomplices used their illegally acquired gun to shoot dead a huge rhino in the conservancy.

Ian Craig, a shareholder of the conservancy and a member of KWS Board of Trustees, said poachers have killed seven rhinos in the conservancy this year.

The reformed poacher confessed of having been personally engaged in the killing of two rhinos with his four accomplices.

“We sold the horn of one of the rhinos and each of us got Sh300,000. Sometimes buyers of contraband wildlife products get them from us promising to pay later but never show up,” Parkusaa narrated.

The father of four said the buyers are from all nationalities including Asians, Europeans and Africans.

KWS Senior Assistant Director Robert Muasya said they would consider seeking a pardon for the reformed poacher   and urged community elders to encourage more poachers to come forward and publicly denounce their illegal activities.

“We are optimistic the punitive penalties will deter the would-be poachers from this illegal practice,” said Muasya.

Kenya lost 60 rhinos to poachers last year alone, the Kenya Wildlife Service says.