Ruto mulls lifting the ban on slaughtering of donkeys over youth unemployment
3 min read
Ruto through his Agriculture CS hints at lifting the ban on slaughtering donkeys over ever-increasing unemployment
Ruto through his Agriculture CS hints at lifting the ban on slaughtering donkeys over ever-increasing unemployment.
On Saturday, June 17, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi hinted at removing a ban on the slaughter of donkeys and the sale of donkey meat across the country.
Speaking at Baringo, Linturi declared that donkeys were treated as livestock by his ministry and that he would look out for both their welfare and that of their owners, adding that the issue was being thought about.
The CS further stated that, should the slaughter of donkeys be approved, the government will take precautions to guarantee that it would be carried out in compliance with the rules outlined by the Constitution.
His move, he claimed, was motivated by the ban’s impact on unemployment. He pointed out that if repealing the restriction would give young people jobs, then it was the right thing to do.
“If lifting the ban will ensure that young people go back to work, then I will make sure that everything that is possible is done so that they can get employment.
“I am thrilled to hear that because if people can take the meat, then why don’t we give them the meat and even export so that we can have foreign currency from donkey meant,” he emphasized.
His remarks came after complaints by Baringo residents including Mogotio MP Ruben Kiborek who lamented that since the ban on donkey slaughter was effected, many lost their jobs.
Police forced to intervene after CS and MP fight over Karen Home
DP Gachagua accused of intimidating witnesses in Ksh1.5B land case
Okiya Omtatah sues IG Koome over police officers’ ‘illegal’ promotions
World Bank grants Kenya Ksh45 billion after budget reading
Elsewhere, police officers in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, arrested two suspects after raiding a homestead and uncovering an illegal donkey slaughtering syndicate.
During the raid, police officers recovered 51 donkeys set for slaughtering as well as donkey remains.
Kikuyu Deputy County Commissioner Erick Wamurefu warned of a rise in donkey theft stating that many were stolen from other regions and taken to Dagoretti for slaughter.
In August 2021, the government banned the slaughter of donkeys and shut down all donkey abattoirs in an effort to save the animals from extinction.
The move came after the High Court overturned a donkey slaughter ban that had been in effect since February 2020 which allowed the slaughter and sale of donkey meat as well as hides to Asian markets and beyond.
The government, however, argued that the commercialization of donkey slaughter would deplete the donkey population as well as have a direct impact on those whose lifestyles depended on the animal for the transportation of goods.
Also read,
Kenya assures South Africa of support after Cyril Ramaphosa fiasco in Poland
Islamic State-linked terror group attack a school, 40 killed with others abducted
How Ruto deal is Making Kenya lose multimillion venture to Tanzania
World Economic Forum endorses Kenya as the “Silicon Valley of Africa”
Ruto breaks silence after Sudan rejects his nomination to lead peace talks
Follow us
