A notorious conman was on Monday, September 28, nabbed as he tried to sell two ostrich eggs for Ksh600,000 in Kirinyaga County.
Confirming the incident, Gichugu Sub-county Police Commander Anthony Mbogo stated that the man had been trailed by detectives following complaints of con-schemes by residents.
The suspect was ambushed by police following a tip-off from locals of the impending trade-off.
The man was also accused of defrauding a woman of Ksh98,000 in a fake school firewood tender and Ksh320,000 from an unsuspecting man in a land deal.
Several of the victims of his schemes told detectives that they received death threats when they tried to recover their money.
He will be arraigned in court on Tuesday, September 29, to face the charges.
It is not clear what made the eggs sell at such a high price as an ostrich egg fetches about Ksh3,500 due to its rarity and large size.
A chick that is about a month old is likely to be sold at between Ksh30,000 and Ksh40,000. A year-old ostrich will set you back between Ksh70,000 and Ksh90,000.
The eggs vary in shape, size, weight, and shell structure and shell porosity. The average size egg is 13cm x 16cm and the weight ranges between 1.1 and 1.9kg.
According to the Wildlife Act of Kenya 2013, one can rear ostriches as long as the wildlife remains in a healthy, natural and secure state and is carried out on suitable land that adheres to the terms and conditions of the license issued by the Cabinet Secretary.
On the other hand, the CS in charge of wildlife can prohibit any activity that may adversely affect the survival of an endangered species.
The Wildlife Act of 2013, states that a person who keeps or is found in possession of a wildlife trophy or deals in a wildlife trophy, or manufactures any item from a trophy without a permit shall be liable upon conviction to a fine of not less than Ksh1 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or both.
In 2019, three Chinese nationals and a Kenyan were arrested in Kilimani area, Nairobi for being in possession of wildlife trophies.
They were found in possession of a rhino horn worth Ksh1.8 million, leopard skin worth Ksh500,000 and a tortoise which the court directed be released to the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) after the police cited that it was wild by nature.
