Two Kenyans among four charged at JKIA court with trafficking live queen ants

By Stanley Kimoru 

Four men — two Belgians, a Vietnamese national, and a Kenyan — have been convicted after pleading guilty to charges of illegal possession and trade in live queen ants, in a case that has exposed a rare form of wildlife trafficking in Kenya.

The plea was entered on Monday before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts.

According to the prosecution, Belgian nationals Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx were arrested on April 5, 2025, at Jane Guest House in the Lake View area of Naivasha, Nakuru County. 

“They were found in possession of approximately 5,000 live queen ants stored in 2,244 tubes,” said prosecutor Allen Mulama, adding that the consignment had an estimated street value of Ksh. 1 million.

The two were charged with dealing in wildlife species without a permit, contrary to Section 95(c) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, Cap 376.

In a separate but related incident, Vietnamese national Duh Hung Nguyen and Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a were caught with around 400 live queen ants valued at Ksh. 200,000. The offense reportedly occurred between April 5 and 6, 2025, at Hemak Towers Suite in Nairobi’s CBD and Tofina Muthama Apartments in Syokimau.

All four accused pleaded guilty and held  in custody at the JKIA Police Station. The court deferred the matter to Tuesday April 15, 2025, when the prosecution is expected to present the case facts and physical exhibits.