Four individuals, including three foreigners, involved in the trafficking of garden ants have been sentenced to one year in jail or pay a fine of Ksh 1 million each.
The four, who include Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen, and Kenyan national Dennis Ng’ang’a, were arraigned before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts on Wednesday.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured a significant conviction in a rare wildlife trafficking case involving garden ants, culminating in the sentencing of four foreign and local nationals.
“Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen, and Kenyan national Dennis Ng’ang’a were each fined Ksh. 1 million or, in default, sentenced to one year in prison for dealing in listed wildlife species in contravention of Section 95(c) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, Laws of Kenya,” the DPP said in a statement.
In delivering the sentence, Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku ordered the repatriation of Lornoy, Seppe, and Duh through the Immigration Department back to their countries of origin upon payment of the fine or completion of the prison term.
The prosecution, led by Allen Mulama, Paula Rono, and Bramwel Shitsama, told the court that on April 5, 2025, at around 1000 hours at Jane Guest House, Lake View area in Naivasha within Nakuru, Lornoy and Seppe were found dealing in live wildlife species, namely garden ants, approximately 5,000 queens packed in 2,244 tubes with a street value of Ksh. 1 million without a permit.
On the same date, between 2300 hours and 0200 hours in Nairobi, Duh and Dennis were also found dealing in live wildlife species, namely garden ants (Messor cephalotes) packed in 140 syringes and approximately 300 unpackaged garden ants in two containers with a street value of Ksh. 200,000 without a permit.
All four suspects were arraigned in court on April 14, 2025, where they pleaded guilty to the charges.
As part of its submissions, the prosecution tabled a report from the National Museums of Kenya authored by a leading entomologist. The report underscored the critical ecological importance of ants, highlighting their roles in pest control, seed dispersal, soil aeration, and nutrient recycling.
The expert warned that large-scale harvesting of queen ants could trigger local extinctions, destabilize fragile ecosystems, limit plant nutrient cycles, and promote the spread of invasive species.
