Donkey meat abattoir sparks heated debate

Should Kenyans be allowed to freely eat donkey meat?

The question triggered heated debate during a parliamentary committee hearing on a draft veterinary policy this week.

Participants at the Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives Committee hearing at the Whitesands Beach Resort on Tuesday were deeply divided, with some demanding that a donkey meat abattoir in Naivasha be barred from operating.

Nakuru County Agriculture and Fisheries Executive Stanley Chepkwony said allowing the slaughter of donkeys in an abattoir would curb consumption of uninspected meat.

The committee, however, also heard that there are 600,000 donkeys in the country and if the abattoir is allowed to operate, this number would be depleted within a couple of years.

“The abattoir should have been licensed on condition that the investors breed donkeys for slaughter,” said Mr Julius Kiptarus, the Agriculture ministry’s director of livestock production.

GOVERNMENT POLICY

Members of the committee wanted to know whether licensing the abattoir was in line with government policy.

The senior deputy director at the ministry, Dr Njagi Obadiah, said allowing the abattoir to operate was in response to Nakuru residents’ dietary inclinations.

“Eating habits change with time and culture and we are expected to respond to that. There is no proof that donkey meat is harmful to humans,” he said.

Mt Elgon MP John Serut said counties were coming up with laws that were contrary to the national government’s policies. “Legislation should take into consideration the cultural backgrounds of all Kenyans. The least the government can do is to bar the facility from operating,” he said.

Committee chairman Adan Mohamed said if the abattoir was allowed to operate, it should have a source of the animals for slaughter.

“Today, Kenyans are eating rabbit meat, which was not common in the past. If there is no problem with donkey meat, people could invest in donkey farming,” he said.