WildlifeDirect calls for independent investigation and urgent reforms to protect wildlife, farmers and public health.
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 3, 2026 — The reported deaths of at least 15 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem have raised fresh concerns over Kenya’s pesticide regulation, enforcement and public health safeguards, with conservation organisation WildlifeDirect calling for an independent investigation and urgent government action.
WildlifeDirect says the deaths should not be treated as an isolated wildlife tragedy, but as a warning that weaknesses in the country’s pesticide governance could be putting wildlife, farmers, farm workers, neighbouring communities and consumers at risk.
“The reported deaths of at least 15 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem are not simply a wildlife tragedy. They are a warning that Kenya’s pesticide governance, regulatory oversight, and enforcement systems require urgent reform. If toxic chemicals are capable of entering crops consumed by elephants, we must ask whether farmers, farm workers, neighbouring communities, livestock, and consumers are being adequately protected.”
— Dr Paula Kahumbu, CEO, WildlifeDirect
WildlifeDirect, the Kenyan conservation organisation that led the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign, which contributed to an 80 per cent reduction in elephant poaching between 2013 and 2016, is urging the Government to treat the Amboseli poisonings as a national priority requiring immediate, transparent and multi-sectoral action.
Preliminary investigations by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) have linked the elephant deaths to cyanide contamination associated with pesticides used on tomato farms neighbouring Amboseli National Park, Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Ranch.
KWS Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga confirmed that laboratory analysis of carcass samples detected traces of cyanide in the animals’ digestive systems.
According to the findings, 10 of the 15 elephants displayed symptoms of partial paralysis before dying within one to two days. Most of the elephants killed were adult females and calves, which form the reproductive core of the population.
The deaths have also raised concerns because they follow the poisoning of six lions and 32 vultures in the same ecosystem in January 2026, suggesting what WildlifeDirect describes as a possible systemic failure rather than isolated incidents.
Public health concerns
Beyond the loss of wildlife, WildlifeDirect says the incident raises serious questions about the potential exposure of people to hazardous pesticides.
If pesticide contamination at levels lethal to elephants is occurring around farms, the organisation says it is legitimate and urgent to establish whether similar chemicals are reaching local markets and consumers.
Chronic exposure to some pesticides has been associated with serious health consequences, including learning disabilities, hormonal disruption, immune suppression, miscarriages, impaired growth and increased cancer risk.
The concerns come against the backdrop of Kenya’s growing burden of cancer and other chronic diseases.
A performance audit by the Office of the Auditor-General, released in the same week that the Amboseli elephant deaths were confirmed, found weaknesses in the ability of the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) to monitor and enforce compliance with pesticide regulations.
The audit reported that seizures of expired, counterfeit and unregistered pesticides had risen to 28,617 kilogrammes in the 2024/25 financial year.
It also found that the PCPB lacked adequate post-registration surveillance, an updated database of pesticide-handling premises and assessments of the long-term environmental impacts of pesticides.
WildlifeDirect says the situation is further complicated by the reliance of many farmers on advice from agrochemical suppliers and retailers, who may not always provide independent information on the long-term health and environmental risks associated with particular products.
Where illegal, counterfeit or unregistered pesticides enter the market, or where existing regulations are not effectively enforced, the organisation says the consequences are ultimately borne by ordinary Kenyans, wildlife and future generations.
Five actions demanded
WildlifeDirect is calling on the Government to take immediate action in five key areas.
First, it wants a fully independent and transparent investigation involving KWS, the PCPB, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Ministries of Health, Water and Agriculture, county governments and independent scientific experts. The organisation says all findings should be made public.
Second, it is calling for stronger accountability. Public officials and institutions that fail to enforce the law, including cases where regulatory negligence can be demonstrated, should face administrative and legal consequences. Individuals and companies found to have illegally imported, sold or misused prohibited or restricted pesticides should also face substantial penalties and prosecution under existing law.
Third, WildlifeDirect wants pesticide regulation and compliance strengthened. This should include a national audit of pesticide registration, importation, distribution and procurement, as well as a review of highly hazardous pesticides against international evidence. The organisation is also calling for routine compliance inspections and residue testing.
Fourth, it wants greater transparency to protect public health. Communities and the wider public, it says, have a right to know which chemicals are being used around them, their associated health risks and environmental impacts, as well as monitoring results and residue-testing data.
Finally, WildlifeDirect is calling for greater investment in farmers and safer agricultural practices. This includes expanding independent farmer education, strengthening agricultural extension services, promoting integrated pest management and safer alternatives, and ensuring farmers have access to reliable technical advice rather than depending primarily on commercial marketing.
The organisation stressed that farmers should not be viewed as the cause of the problem, but as among the first victims of weaknesses in the regulatory system.
Dr Kahumbu said the Amboseli deaths could provide an opportunity for Kenya to confront wider weaknesses in the management of hazardous chemicals.
“The Amboseli elephants may have revealed a much larger problem. Their deaths should prompt a national conversation about how hazardous chemicals are regulated, monitored, and enforced in Kenya. Protecting wildlife, protecting farmers, and protecting public health are not competing priorities — they are one and the same. We cannot afford to wait for evidence of harm to people before acting decisively.”
