Duo arrested in illegal cedar ttransportation in Londiani

Head of Mau Conservancy Fred Ogombe and an accountant have been arrested and locked at Londiani police station after being implicated in illegal transportation of cedar wood.

The two are accused of illegally transporting 1,500 pieces of endangered species of wood worth Sh450,000.

The cedar had been recovered from illegal loggers and stored at the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) offices in Nakuru.

Ogombe was arrested after being directed by the police to write a statement at the DCI offices in Londiani yesterday.

A vehicle transporting the cedar was impounded at a road block on the Nakuru-Londiani Road.

Londiani OCPD Namtali Kotima confirmed the arrests, saying investigations are underway.

"The Mau Complex senior officer was arrested after being implicated in the illegal transportation of cedar wood," the police boss said.

The cedar wood was netted while being transported in the KFS vehicle.

Kotima told The Standard that the work ticket of the lorry impounded had been signed by a senior officer attached at the KFS offices in Nakuru, but did not reveal who the officer was.

"According to the work ticket, movement of the vehicle was signed by a senior officer," he said.

A junior officer who requested anonimity said the lorry was coming from the Nakuru KFS offices.

The cedar wood was allegedly being transported to Ogombe's home in Busia.

"The driver of the vehicle told us he had been directed to transport the cedar to his boss's home," he said.

The Standard contacted Ogombe after the lorry was impounded but he refused to comment, saying he was in a meeting discussing the issue.

Greenlife Nature Eco-system Network chairman Robert Keter said efforts to curb illegal logging at Mau Complex are frustrated by some KFS officers.