Conservationists are applauding Kenya's decision to burn a massive stockpile of ivory, rather than sell it.

The tusks of about 8000 elephants and rhino have gone up in smoke, in what Kenya says is a demonstration of its commitment to stamp out all trade in ivory.

Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta set fire to the thousands of elephant tusks and rhino horns.

It would have been worth a fortune to smugglers, but Kenya's president says burning it is a way of sending the message the ivory is worthless unless it's on living elephants.

His country is pushing for a total ban on ivory sales.

He said the gesture is intended to send a message that all trade in the animal parts should be stopped.

Some ivory sales are deemed legal under international conventions, but president Kenyatta said all that does is feed the illegal trade, and puts animals in danger.

"A new generation of poachers armed with new weapons and connected to vast new markets across the world threatens to exterminate them."

Wildaid chief Peter Knights said the country has done the right thing.

"In the 70's and 80's African elephant populations halved when we were selling ivory through legal trade and what happened was poachers would just launder their illegal ivory through the legal ivory."

Mr Knights said it's the only way to stop smugglers.

"We need to end the sales of ivory in countries, not just the international trade, but the domestic sales. And the good news is that President Xi of China has agreed to do it, Hong Kong has agreed to do that, President Obama signed up for it."