Zebra meat, donkey carcasses found

By KIPCHUMBA KEMEI and PETERSON GITHAIGA

Police in Narok have impounded about 120kg of zebra meat being transported from Masai Mara Game Reserve to Nairobi.

It was intercepted yesterday by traffic police at Ntulele area on the Narok-Mai Mahiu road.

Area police boss Peterson Maelo said the driver and two other people abandoned the vehicle and fled into a thicket after they noticed police following them.

“The driver of the vehicle refused to stop when he was flagged down by traffic police at a road block forcing them to go after it and when its occuants realised it, they stopped alighted and fled into a thicket,” he said.

Mr Maelo said public health and veterinary officials had confirmed that the cargo was zebra meat and added the vehicle will be detained at Ntulele Police Station until its owner turns up to claim it and hand over the driver to the police.

Local Kenya Wildlife Service senior warden Bernard Koruta said the road has in the past two years become a transit route for game meat and pledged to increase patrols.

“Those who traffic game meat are working with locals who kill the animals and sell them. We will increase surveillance and patrols to deter killings and trafficking,” said Koruta.

Meanwhile, More than 10 donkey carcasses were found dumped in a bush in Kitengela, Kajiado County yesterday.

Keta ole Leiyu, a local village elder said that many famers have previously reported the disappearance of their animals.

“We suspect many people have been eating donkey meat unknowingly,” said ole Keiyu.