NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 31 – The United Green Movement (UGM) has called for an independent investigation into the alleged “cyanide poisoning” of elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem, urging authorities to tighten controls on hazardous chemicals following the recent deaths of fifteen elephants.
The party’s statement comes days after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) disclosed that preliminary laboratory findings had detected a potential toxic substance in samples collected from several affected elephants, while cautioning that further toxicological analysis is underway to determine the exact substance, its concentration and source.
The David Maraga-led UGM party however said the incident exposed gaps in Kenya’s regulation of hazardous chemicals and demanded urgent action to prevent similar wildlife deaths.
“The continued availability and misuse of highly hazardous pesticides and toxic chemicals pose a serious threat not only to wildlife but also to human health, food security and the environment,” the party’s Co-Secretary General Katto Wambua stated.
While referring to the incident as “cyanide poisoning,” UGM called for comprehensive environmental investigations to establish whether contaminated water sources, agricultural chemicals or other toxic substances were responsible for the elephant deaths.
The party urged the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), county governments and KWS to move swiftly and transparently in identifying the source and extent of the contamination.
Among its recommendations, UGM called for an independent audit of pesticide and toxic chemical supply chains, stricter enforcement of environmental regulations, testing of nearby water sources, produce and livestock, and a ban on the 202 pesticides classified as restricted in Kenya but prohibited in several European and North American markets.
“Kenya’s wildlife is not collateral damage, and our people are not expendable. This must be the moment enforcement becomes real, transparent, and equal for all,” the statement said.
KWS, in an update on July 22, said fifteen elephants died between June 24 and July 24 across Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Ranch.
Ten of the animals displayed similar clinical signs, including partial paralysis that left them unable to stand before dying within one to two days, while the remaining five carcasses were too decomposed to establish the cause of death.
The fatalities primarily involved adult females and calves, with only one adult male affected.
The wildlife agency said veterinary teams from Nairobi, Tsavo and Amboseli were immediately deployed to investigate the deaths, conduct post-mortem examinations and collect samples for laboratory analysis.
Samples were submitted to the University of Nairobi, the Government Chemist and other specialised laboratories for toxicological and pathological testing.
While the University of Nairobi detected a potential toxic substance, KWS noted that preliminary tests by the Government Chemist were negative for the substances initially screened, with further testing for other possible toxins still ongoing.
The agency has also launched environmental investigations, including analysis of water sources and other potential contaminants, to determine whether the elephants were exposed to a common source.
KWS emphasized that there is no evidence the incident poses any risk to human health, adding that surveillance across the Amboseli ecosystem has been intensified as investigations continue to establish the definitive cause of the deaths.
