Lake Nakuru rhino poaching might have been inside job

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has summoned Lake Nakuru National Park senior warden to present a list of all officers who were on duty on the night a rhino was killed.

Nakuru DCI officer David Wangai said Catherine Wambani, the senior warden, was expected to give details on what transpired on the night the southern white rhino was killed and to also provide names of officers who were on duty.

The rhino was killed inside the park on Sunday night and both horns chopped off.

Police sources told The Standard gunshots were fired from different directions of the park, supposedly to create confusion, and that there were suspicions it could have been an inside job.

Mr Wangai said according to preliminary investigations, the white rhino was shot and its ivory later harvested by suspected poachers.

"KWS officers who were on duty are expected to write full statements informing us what happened," said Mr Wangai.

The DCI officer noted that the incident was reported on Sunday night but his office was informed on Monday morning.

A team of investigators, led by Wangai, later went to the scene of crime on Monday.

"We went to the scene of crime and found rhino carcass whose ivory had been harvested. Investigations reveal that criminals shot dead the rhino and later harvested its horns,” he added.

KWS Assistant Director Central Rift Region Aggrey Maumo, however, denied claims that the incident was an inside job.

The Lake Nakuru National Park's senior warden could not be reached on phone for a comment.

KWS acting head of communication Ngugi Gecaga told The Standard the report was yet to get to his desk.

“There has been a rumour going on about the rhino being killed but our team on the ground is combing the park to ascertain the facts. Issues on poaching are very sensitive and we have to verify the information. Once we receive, we will get back to you,” Mr Gecaga said.

Gecaga did not, however, get back and failed to pick calls when contacted later.

Last year, a 12-year-old young male black rhino was killed at the park days after the mysterious deaths of 10 rhinos at Tsavo East National Park after a botched translocation.

Among the 14 rhinos translocated, three were from Lake Nakuru National Park, which currently harbours 66 black rhinos and 14 southern white rhinos.