This archive report was first published on 25 July 2019.
Kenya's donkey population is under threat of extinction, with a new report warning that the country may lose its donkeys by 2023 if the current slaughter rate continues.
According to a report by Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW), the rise of slaughterhouses in Kenya has led to a significant increase in the slaughter of donkeys, with an estimated 1,000 donkeys being slaughtered daily.
The report, compiled by Josiah Ojwang, Dennis Bahati, Sebastian Mwanza, and Bernard Atsiaya, highlights the classification of donkeys and horses as food animals seven years ago as a major contributor to the problem.
This led to the establishment of more slaughterhouses to meet the high demand from local and international markets, particularly from China, where donkey skin is used to make traditional medicine known as ejiao.
ANAW veterinarian Calvin Onyango revealed that between 2016 and 2018, 600,000 pieces of donkey skin and 400 tonnes of donkey meat were exported to Vietnam and China.
Animal welfare lobbies have urged the government to withdraw the abattoirs' licences until measures are put in place to guarantee the welfare of the animals and halt trade in donkey meat and skin until regulations are set up to protect the species.
Brooke East Africa, in collaboration with other organizations, has also called for a ban on the export of donkey skin and a crackdown on cross-border smuggling of donkeys.
According to Brooke East Africa CEO Fred Ochieng', communities should work together to fight for the survival of donkeys.
