Kenyan Court Fines, Jails Chinese Man in Ant-Smuggling Case

Chinese national Zhang Kequn stands outside the courtroom before his sentencing, after he pleaded guilty to charges of dealing with wildlife species without a permit and illegal possession of garden ants, on the day he was fined U.S. dollars 7,746 and a one year jail term, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya, April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi
Chinese national Zhang Kequn stands outside the courtroom before his sentencing, after he pleaded guilty to charges of dealing with wildlife species without a permit and illegal possession of garden ants, on the day he was fined U.S. dollars 7,746 and a one year jail term, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya, April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi

By Humphrey Malalo

A Kenyan court on Wednesday ordered a Chinese man to pay a fine of 1 million shillings ($7,746) and gave him a 12-month jail term for trying to smuggle live ants out of the country.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Detected IP: ...