Kenyans might be consuming Donkey Meat: Charity Group raises alarm
By: Rading Biko
Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2022
There is a possibility of Kenyans consuming donkey meat, Brooke East Africa a donkey welfare organization has raised alarm.
Dr Raphael Kinoti, Regional Director of Brooke East Africa, in charge of the charity group said there has been an increase in theft and inhumane killing of donkeys.
As evidenced by the donkey remains in bushes, it is alleged the citizens in various parts of the country might be unknowingly eating donkey meat.
As of March 3, youths in Kitengela staged demonstrations after the loss of their donkeys whose carcasses they found deboned strewn in bushes. The donkeys are the main source of livelihood for a large majority of them.
Despite the demonstrations having been aired on media, the grievances did not attain much of an impact. This was followed closely by an event of the same on April 24, when youths from Mbaruku woke to find their donkeys killed and deboned as well.
The occurrences are a clear indication of the rise in murder of donkeys that are turning out as a deprivation of owners’ livelihoods means since a majority of these incidents aren’t reported.
The Brooke hereby appeals to Kenyans on being vigilant, especially with COVID19 in mind owing that it originated from an animal. Reminding everyone that consumption of the uninspected meat also endangers one from attaining infections such as Anthrax.
The Regional Director of Brooke East Africa says that as much as sympathy is availed to the owners of unlawfully slain animals, there is a need for government to take action against these heinous acts.
Such acts are considered of animal welfare and cruelty nature and are also an issue of public health and environmental concern, hence urging the government and health institutions to take up arms and look into the matter.
The openly exposed carcasses not only pollute the environment but are also polluting the water bodies at large. A call for action has been taken to investigate the perpetrators and bring them to book.
The Brooke East African organization is taking this chance to warn citizens nationwide from consuming uninspected meat, citing the need to know its source.
The donkey keepers are also urged to take care of their donkeys by ensuring their safety is prioritised by putting their donkeys in a spacious lockable shelter, especially at night.
They are also expected to report any suspicious activity or theft to relevant authorities.
The animal health practitioners are keen to take part in the overseeing of animals’ welfare that will aid the owners in ensuring there is enough information on the right way of vaccinating, treating and even diagnosing the animals reared in homes.
Kinoti has ensured that the Brooke organization has issued a need for urgency in dealing with the matter as it is incessantly becoming rampant in various areas like Naivasha which has been identified as a hotspot.
It is probable that the meat obtained from Naivasha might be reaching the outskirts of Nairobi and its interior.
The Regional Director said that as an organization the fight against this heinous act can be curbed easily if both the public and community-based organizations take part in the initiative to prevent the ongoing trend.
Different government sectors have also offered their support in the fight against illegal meat consumption.
Kinoti suggests that to attain sustainable change for both the animals and humans it has to be a collective responsibility bestowed on everyone as a stride towards a beneficial goal for humanity.
Written by Kwabe Victor
