Four Farmers Arrested Over Cyanide Poisoning of 18 Amboseli Elephants

Four farmers have been arrested in connection with the suspected poisoning of elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem, where 18 animals have died and another remains critically ill under veterinary care.

The suspects, three men and a woman, were arrested following a three-day multi-agency operation that ended on Friday. The operation involved Kenya Wildlife Service rangers, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the National Intelligence Service.

Investigators seized several unlabelled chemical substances suspected to have been smuggled into Kenya from a neighbouring country. The substances have been taken for scientific analysis to establish whether they were used in the poisoning.

One of the suspects, a Tanzanian national identified by investigators as the alleged mastermind, was arrested in Nairobi. The other three suspects were arrested in Kajiado County. Some investigators worked undercover as casual labourers on farms during the operation.

Preliminary tests indicate that cyanide poisoning may have caused the elephant deaths. Traces of the fast-acting toxin were detected in samples collected from the carcasses.

Investigators suspect the elephants may have consumed contaminated water or crops treated with pesticides on farms bordering their migration routes. Veterinary reports and witness accounts indicate that the affected animals experienced partial paralysis before collapsing and dying within days.

Most of the dead elephants were adult females and calves, raising concerns about the impact on family herds within the ecosystem. Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano said cyanide remains the leading hypothesis, but stressed that investigations are still ongoing. She said the suspects would be prosecuted once the evidence had been fully verified.

“The Government will allow the investigative and judicial processes to proceed to their lawful conclusion, and any person established to have unlawfully killed, poisoned or harmed wildlife will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” she said.

The deaths have renewed scrutiny of the pressures facing the Amboseli ecosystem, which is known for its large-tusked elephants and long-running wildlife research programmes. Although Amboseli National Park covers 392 square kilometres, more than 80 percent of the area’s wildlife regularly moves beyond the park’s boundaries.

This movement has brought wildlife into increasing contact with agricultural activity, particularly horticultural farms located along migration routes. Some of the farms are also involved in legal disputes with the National Environment Management Authority over environmental licences that were withdrawn.

The Kajiado County Government has classified the incident as a One Health emergency because of its potential effects beyond wildlife.