Four individuals, including two Belgian nationals, a Vietnamese citizen, and a Kenyan, have pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful possession and trade in live queen ants.
The two Belgians were arraigned before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts after being nabbed on April 5, 2025, at a guest house in the Lake View area of Naivasha, Nakuru County, while in possession of live queen ants.
The two were found in possession of approximately 5,000 live queen ants stored in 2,244 tubes, with an estimated street value of Ksh1 million, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
They were charged with dealing in wildlife species without a permit, contrary to Section 95(c) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, Cap 376, Laws of Kenya.
Queen ants are highly valuable, with common species going for between Ksh200 and Ksh1,000, while the larger, rarer species are Ksh1,500 and Ksh5,000, and highly exotic or difficult-to-catch queens sell for between Ksh6,000 and Ksh15,000.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, a Vietnamese national and a Kenyan confederate were charged with unlawful possession and trade of around 400 live queen ants, valued at Ksh200,000.
The two accomplices were reported to have committed the offence on the dates between April 5 and April 6 while at a popular hotel in Nairobi's central business district and at an apartment in Syokimau.
All four accused appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku and entered guilty pleas.
The court deferred the matter to April 15, 2025, to allow the prosecution to present the facts of the case and submit the physical exhibits.
The accused will remain in custody at the JKIA Police Station until Tuesday, pending the determination of their fate by the court.
This is the latest such case to be presented in court amid efforts to address the menace that has been a concern to conservation efforts.
Kenya has, in recent times, made international commitments to target unlawful traffickers of wildlife products at points of entry and exit.
In 2018, another Vietnamese national in a case similar to this was nabbed at the JKIA with eight lion canine teeth, three lion claws, and two warthog teeth.
In 2023, three culprits were arraigned and charged with the unlawful exportation of safari ants worth Sh300,000 to France.
