Kenyans have been cautioned to be alert when consuming meat at the popular Nyama Choma joint in Kikopey, Gilgil in Nakuru County.
The cause for caution follows an incident where pictures of a man slaughtering the Marabou stork bird, surfaced online.
A report by KTN News warned members of the public to be vigilant when buying chicken from the area over fears that what they are consuming could indeed be the Marabou stork bird.
Reports intimated that the wild bird, whose meat is nonetheless non-poisonous, is sold to unsuspecting Kenyans as roasted chicken.
This is not the first time Kikopey has been on the spot over the legitimacy of meat sold in the roadside spot that has become a famous stop-over for travellers.
In 2019, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warned that Kikopey which is nested along the Naivasha-Nakuru highway was a hot spot for game meat.
KWS stated that residents living around the restricted areas resorted to using crude means of hunting and killing the animals for bushmeat.
Notably, KWS cautioned that bushmeat hunting has been identified as the most dangerous, illegal activity for wildlife conservation and management in the country.
The institution maintained that its declaration still stands but the demand for bushmeat to supply commercial consumption was insatiable.
Kenyans and travellers were alerted that consumption of bushmeat is a public health risk since the meat is not inspected.
Further, members of the public are exposed to zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and anthrax that are linked to wild animals.
Kikopey derives its name from the Maasai phrase which means a place where green turns white, due to the diatomite found in neighbouring Elementaita and Kariandusi.
