Police in Nyahururu have arrested two suspects found transporting sandalwood worth about Sh5 million.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations, in a statement on October 26, 2025, said acting on intelligence, a multi-agency team intercepted a vehicle, registration number KAX 049C, along the Nyahururu–Rumuruti road and discovered about 532 kilograms of the protected wood.
The suspects, identified as Edwin Tenai and Daniel Makori, were taken to Nyahururu Police Station for processing and will be arraigned once investigations are complete.
Both the vehicle and the sandalwood have been detained as exhibits as authorities intensify the crackdown on illegal trade in natural resources.
DCI noted that the operation highlights the government’s ongoing commitment to combating environmental crimes
"This operation serves as a strong reminder of the government's commitment to combat illegal trade and the protection of valuable natural resources," said the DCI.
Sandalwood is listed as a protected species under Kenyan law, with its trafficking in Kenya considered a multi-million dollar trade that exploits local communities and leads to deforestation.
A 2021 report published by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) stated that the sandalwood tree is being illegally harvested at a rate that could see it becoming extinct.
The misuse of this valuable resource is causing a loss of biodiversity and a source of medicine for local communities.
The increased over-exploitation of this wood in Kenya goes back to 2006, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which lists the tree as threatened.