Two suspects running an illegal donkey slaughterhouse in Limuru were on Wednesday, February 22, arrested after their landlord filed a report with the police.
Kiambu County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha confirmed that police officers raided the premises and caught the suspects packing slaughtered donkey meat.
Nkathana stated that the meat was headed to the popular Nairobi meat market, Burma, and Nakuru for sale.
"We apprehended the prime suspects, several others are still at large but we have launched a manhunt to bring them to book," he stated.
Police recovered an unknown amount of meat packaged in woven sacks. In addition, they impounded two vehicles used to ferry the meat.
Officers found that the tenants who had leased the land had spread the carcasses of the slaughtered donkeys across the five-acre parcel resulting in a foul smell.
The cops were accompanied by a team of officers from the Kiambu County public health department who inspected the scene.
Neighbours informed the police that there was a spike in the theft of donkeys in the area. Meanwhile, the landlord made a plea to the local authorities to help him move the tenants from the premises.
Nkathana revealed that a multi-agency team was deployed to conduct a crackdown on butcheries suspected to have bought the donkey meat.
All meat sold in butcheries would be inspected for stamps from the county public health department. Residents have also been asked to exercise caution when purchasing meat.
In 2020, the government banned the commercial slaughter of donkeys in the country following the creeping in of meat in the market.
Among the key factors that contribute to the cropping up of illegal donkey slaughterhouses is the high demand for meat by residents in Nairobi.
