You might have been eating punda meat!
Police have apprehended four suspects in Kaminji village, Mwea West, who confessed to stealing and slaughtering donkeys and selling the meat in Nairobi. The suspects narrowly escaped being lynched by an irate mob after their capture on Saturday.
The residents who were incensed by the crime, detained the suspects and set one of their vehicles on fire. Kirwarwa Sub-location Assistant Chief Zacharia Miano Muchiri reported that the suspects were caught in the act of slaughtering 30 donkeys near River Sagana. Three other suspects managed to escape during the villagers’ ambush.
Two vehicles, a Pajero and a Toyota Probox, were found at the scene. The Probox was set ablaze before police intervened to prevent further violence. The suspects, in an attempt to save their lives, confessed to selling the stolen meat at Burma Market in Nairobi. They revealed details about their operations, including that they were payed Ksh 10,000 to slaughter the donkeys.
The situation was further complicated by the discovery of a colt, suggesting one of the donkeys might have been pregnant. This incident mirrors a similar case in December 2023, where police arrested ten individuals for illegally slaughtering 15 donkeys in Makueni County, intending to transport the meat to Nairobi.
The trade in donkey meat, while legalized in Kenya in 2012, has faced bans and controversy. The government prohibited the slaughter of donkeys in 2020, but the High Court later lifted this ban, allowing the trade to resume. However, the African Union recently announced a 15-year ban on the commercial slaughter of donkeys for their skin across all member states.
Despite veterinary experts asserting the safety of donkey meat for human consumption, it remains unpopular in Kenya.
