Number of donkeys slaughtered at night in Naivasha hit 15 in a month

By ANTONY GITONGA                          

NAIVASHA, KENYA: Residents of Naivasha on Saturday woke up to a rude shock to discover the carcasses of six donkeys which had been slaughtered and the meat ferried to unknown place.

The carcasses were found near Mithuri estate along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway by members of the public.

Following the move, officers from the department of public health embarked on a major inspection in the lakeside town to unsure that the meat was not sold there.

And as this was going on water vendors who use donkeys to ferry water threatened to hold a demonstration to protest the increase in the illegal trade.

The incident brought to 15 the number of donkeys slaughtered in the town and its suburbs in the last one month.

According to a witness Daniel Wachira the vice had been going on for some months and was raising concern among local residents.

Wachira called on the government agencies to move fast and act as there were fears that the meat which was uninspected could cause diseases.

“This is a well-organized trade which is affecting many and we call on police to act on those responsible,” he said.

On his part, John Njoroge said that this was not the first time that donkeys had been slaughtered on the scene.

“We suspect that the meat is been ferried to either Limuru or Nairobi but the worrying this is that these suspects have never been arrested,” he said.

Speaking on phone, Nakuru County public health officer Samuel King’ori said that all food joints would be inspected to make sure that the meat they were selling was safe.

He said that the department would be working with other government agencies to make sure that those behind the illegal trade were arrested.

“We are asking members of the public to volunteer any information to us so that we call deal with those behind this trade,” he said.