Over 400 locals from Machakos and Kutui counties on Thursday took to the streets demonstrating against the planned reopening of the donkey abattoir at Kithyoko in Masinga, Machakos.
The protesters who are donkey owners, braved the morning cold to hold demos along the busy Thika – Garissa highway. They walked 10 kilometres from Kitui to Kithioko market in Masinga subcounty where they addressed the press.
They expressed fears on the planned re-opening of the only donkey slaughterhouse in Eastern region saying it will lead to increased theft of their animals hence depriving them of their livelihood as had previously happened.
The residents urged the Machakos, Kitui and the national governments’ leaderships to intervene for the abattoir to not to be opened.
The protests come following a recent announcement by Agriculture and Livestock CS Mithika Linturi that the government is reconsidering reopening of donkey mass slaughter to address unemployment.
“If lifting the ban will ensure that young people go back to work, then I will make sure everything that is possible is done so that they can get employment," Linturi recently said in Baringo.
The slaughterhouses which were closed down in 2017,were located in Nakuru, Baringo, Turkana and Machakos counties.
Their closure was prompted by the public outcry including animals’ rights defenders who moved to court to demand for their shutdown. The court, however in 2020 lifted the shutdown and issued directives which those running the abattoirs had to meet for them to have their businesses reopened.
“I’m here at Kithyoko condemning the planned reopening of the slaughterhouse since I’m among those who had been affected by it when it was operating before its closure,” said Anastasis Nsekimas from Kavaini in Kitui.
The slaughterhouse depended mostly on Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi counties for donkey supplies. Kitui led in the number of donkeys in the country with several reports on studies conducted in the 2019 indicating that there were 0ver 160,000 donkeys in the county then.
Nsekimas said she was one of the victims whose donkeys had been stolen in 2017 and slaughtered when the abattoir was still operational.
“I woke up one morning to find all my three donkeys missing from my home. I raised an alarm that attracted neighbours who responded and helped me conduct a search for the donkeys. We found their carcasses and meat in a thicket with skins missing,” Nkesimas said.
The widow and mother of three, said her life changed from that day, she was rendered poor and helpless.
She said her children dropped out of school after losing the donkeys since she depended on them to raise and educate the children.
“I used to educate my children using the donkeys. I transported sand, water, and stones for those constructing houses and other structures for pay to raise money for family. So, my children dropped out of school,” Nkesimas said.
“Several of my neighbours were also affected, it wasn’t me alone who suffered in hands of donkey thieves. More than 100 donkeys were slaughtered in our area and since then, some have never replaced the animals,” she added.
Nkesimas said the community raised Sh15,000 and gave her to buy one donkey which she has to date.
“We won’t allow the government to reopen the slaughterhouse so that we continue suffering. We trade using donkeys as our only sources of livelihood, where will we get money to raise our families and pay school fees for our children?” she posed.
She said those who stole their donkeys’ targeted widows and single mothers who live alone with no men to wake up at night to check on and protect their donkeys.
Nkesimas said governors Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos) her Kitui counterpart Julius Malombe and President William Ruto should intervene to ensure the abattoir is not reopened.
Fidelis Ndung’u said Kamba culture doesn’t allow consumption of donkey meat.
John Mweu from Matungo village said the said slaughterhouse is located right in front of his gate.
“We don’t want the slaughterhouse to be reopened because we don’t eat donkeys. We have refused hence the protests,” Mweu said.
He said some of his neighbours had relocated from their homes due to the effluent and stench that emanated from the slaughterhouse when it was still operational. Mweu said the rate of stock theft including donkeys was also high for the period the abattoir operated.
James Mwendwa said youth used to steal their parents’ donkeys only to sell them for as low as Sh3,000, something she expressed fear would return with the slaughterhouse’s reopening.
Mwendwa said many children from the region including himself were educated using donkeys.
“My mother and father have been ferrying water, sand and stones which they sell to construction sites. We will hold demonstrations endlessly if the slaughterhouse is reopened. We don’t fear anything,” Mwendwa said.
He said many children will drop out of school if the abattoirs are reopened.