The Kenya Wildlife Services has identified four notorious hotspot areas for bush meat trade in the country. KWS spokesperson Paul Mbugua told the Star in an Interview that Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok and Tsavo are leading in bush meat trade.
“Kajiado, Naivasha and Narok are some of the areas where we are facing a serious challenge of bush meat trade. These are the areas that supply Nairobi City,” he said. Mbugua said that Chakama is a notorious bush meat centre from wildlife killed in Tsavo. “We have identified that most of the meat from wildlife that is killed in Tsavo is sold at Chakama.
He cautioned the public against buying the meat from unauthorised dealers saying the meat is unfit for human consumption.
“The slaughtering is done in very dirty environments and the meat poses serious health risks. In most cases people have ended up eating baboons, hyenas and even dogs that are disguised as bush meat,” he said.
Mbugua said the wildlife conservation body has arrested several suspects found with the meat but have been released by the courts. This is because KWS does not have a laboratory to prove whether the meat is from wildlife or not.
He however, said that soon they will be prosecuting the suspects after the completion of the KWS forensic lab that is under construction. “By the end of this month we are optimistic that the forensic lab will be officially opened,” he said. He said Kajiado, Naivasha and Narok were the suppliers for Nairobi city.
