This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 26, 2019, animal rights activists raised the alarm over the influx of donkeys smuggled into the country due to increased demand. The trend is an indicator of the dwindling population of donkeys in the country as a result of unsustainable trade.
According to Brooke East Africa's chief executive, Fred Ochieng, the foreign breeds of donkeys from neighboring countries are a proof that the trade is unsustainable. He noted that there has been an increase in donkey theft across the country since last year.
“The statistics are there. Our reports indicate that the current donkey population in the country cannot sustain the current unregulated slaughter and that is why we have been calling on the Government to consider banning the trade,” Mr Ochieng said.
Currently, indigenous Maasai and Somali breeds of donkeys endemic to Kenya are few. Other darker and pure white breeds have been spotted in holding bays in slaughterhouses.
Robert Muteithia, chairperson of the National Network of Donkey Owners Association, said the influx of unfamiliar breeds of donkeys calls for investigation. He noted that the situation has led to donkey owners bearing the brunt of theft to sustain the trade.
“Strange breeds means there is a lot happening across borders for donkey trade to be sustained in the country, something which the Government should look into. Donkey owners have also borne the brunt of theft to sustain the trade, a situation that even security agencies have not been able to handle,” Mr Muteithia said.
According to a report released by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) in June, the current rate of slaughter estimated to be five times the population growth might wipe out donkeys in the country in the next four years.
Statistics show that the number of donkeys slaughtered rose from 20,768 in 2016 to 159,631 donkeys in 2018. In their projection, Kalro and Brooke East Africa estimate that at the current rate of slaughter to meet soaring export demands against reproduction rates, donkey numbers would fall to 468,716 by 2022, before being wiped out the following year.
