KIPROP STEPHEN: Donkeys skin trade not sustainable in Kenya

Despite the lifted ban on donkey slaughter, the donkeys skin trade in Kenya has proven unsustainable, amidst the thriving hides business.

According to Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization, donkeys are seasonal breeders, threatening to sweep the business off-balance owing to the hefty number of donkeys slaughtered in abattoirs in three years.

KALRO noted that the four Kenyan-based donkey abattoirs slaughtered 301,977 donkeys in three years (2016-2018), with three-quarters of those slaughtered being female.

Ten per cent of the slaughtered donkeys were pregnant, jeopardizing the donkeys’ existence.

Until now, donkey artificial breeding is yet to be initiated, with KALRO establishing structures to aid community-based breeding schemes that will major on natural breeding in a bid to save the diminishing number of donkeys.

Given the difficulty of breeding donkeys, the Kenyan government should outlaw commercial donkey slaughter to ensure the survival of these industrious animals.

The writer is a Communications Consultant at Brooke East Africa

Edited by Kiilu Damaris