Driver Loses Car, Fined for Possessing 31kg of Ivory

Summary:

• A driver in Kabale was fined UGX 3 million and forfeited his vehicle after pleading guilty to possessing 31kg of ivory. The court emphasized the environmental and economic value of elephants, penalizing him to deter wildlife crimes.

A special hire driver, Micheal Asiimwe, from Kabale district, has lost his vehicle and was fined UGX 3 million for illegally possessing 31kg of ivory.

Asiimwe, alongside Mathias Barugayo and Enos Kasigazi, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of protected specimens after initially denying the charges in September. The trio was convicted on December 9, 2024, by the Standards Wildlife and Utilities Court in Makindye, Kampala.

State prosecutor Annet Tuheisomwe revealed the group was caught with nine pieces of ivory in Mbarara on August 25, 2024. Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu imposed the fine and ordered Asiimwe’s vehicle forfeited to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, emphasizing the role of elephants in tourism and environmental conservation.