30 donkey heads and 120 legs found dumped in thicket in Witethie, Kiambu

A disturbing discovery has raised alarm among residents and authorities after dozens of donkey carcass parts were found dumped in separate incidents in Kiambu and Kajiado counties.

Detectives and public health officials in Juja, Witeithie, Kiambu County, are investigating the discovery of 30 donkey heads and 120 legs in a thicket.

Elsewhere, in Eriteti village, Kajiado West, 34 donkeys were found slaughtered, with plans to transport the meat to Nairobi. The suspects behind the slaughter escaped, abandoning two vehicles they intended to use to transport the meat for consumption.

The vehicles were towed to a police station for further investigation. Police said they were alerted after locals spotted more than 100 donkeys being driven to the area, raising fears that more meat may have been transported to markets before officers arrived.

Kajiado West police boss Maureen Kuto said officers recovered 34 slaughtered donkeys.

“We suspect part of the meat was transported to markets like Dagoretti in Nairobi. We are pursuing the suspects,” she said.

In Juja, the donkey products were delivered and dumped along Ndarugo Majahi Road after the animals had been slaughtered elsewhere.

It is not clear where those behind the killings took the meat. Officials from the public health department and the police said they are investigating the incident.

They added that the unscrupulous gang behind the slaughter could sell the meat to unsuspecting buyers and consumers disguised as beef.

The heads and legs were disposed of professionally. Officials said the incident was discovered on February 7, long after the meat had been dispatched to its intended destination. It is also unclear where those behind the dumping slaughtered the animals.

Residents demanded a thorough probe to establish who was behind the incident and where the meat and other body parts, including skins, were taken.

Most of the donkeys are believed to have been stolen from homes and slaughtered at night.

Officials said such incidents are common in Limuru and Naivasha areas.

Donkey meat is not illegal in Kenya. However, Kenya’s donkey population is under threat after the High Court lifted a 2020 ban on donkey slaughterhouses, allowing them to resume selling meat and hides to Asian markets.

Donkey slaughter was legalized in Kenya in 2012, leading to a rapid decline in the donkey population and increased cross-border theft.

Although veterinary experts say donkey meat is safe for human consumption, its consumption has yet to gain ground in Kenya, with most Kenyans not consuming it.

A report by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) showed that more than 4,000 donkeys were reported stolen between April 2016 and December 2018.