President Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to over $172 million worth of illicit wildlife goods. The mass burning involved 105 tons of elephant ivory and more than 1 ton of rhino horn, believed to be the largest stockpile ever destroyed. This was the most significant demonstration against poaching in the region and the largest burn of illegal wildlife products in history. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta called for an end to "murderous" trafficking and to fight against the extinction of elephants in the wild.

Every 15 minutes, an elephant is killed for its tusks. And some 1,338 rhinos were poached in Africa last year, a record number and the sixth year in a row that the number of poaching incidents has increased. In 10 years in central Africa we have lost as many as 70% of the elephants.

Critics worried it would send the price of ivory in the black market up but conservationist Richard Leakey told the crowd at the burn ceremony that prior burnings have led to a dramatic drop in prices. Kenya's tourism, based mostly around its wildlife, makes up about 12% of the country's GDP. Over its life, a live elephant generates 76 times more in tourism revenue than it does for its ivory, according to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant rescue and rehabilitation group.