Kenya's Donkey Population Drops Sharply on Theft and Illegal Slaughter

Kenya's donkey population has fallen sharply over the past decade and a half, dropping from around 1.8 million recorded in the 2009 census to roughly 1.1 million, according to a new National Crime Research Centre report examining theft and the illegal trade in donkey skins.

The report identifies Mwingi East, Mwingi Central, Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado as the counties recording the highest incidence of donkey theft and illegal slaughter, with more than 200 documented theft cases linked to the trade. In one impound alone, Kajiado's county livestock department confiscated meat and skins from 30 donkey carcasses in May, while in March at least 34 donkey carcasses were buried following a suspected illegal slaughter in the same county.

Researchers say the decline is being driven largely by international demand for donkey-skin gelatin, known as ejiao, used in traditional Chinese medicine, which has made the animal's hide more valuable to criminal networks than the live animal itself. Investigators note that stolen donkeys are increasingly slaughtered on the spot in remote locations, with only the skin taken and the carcass left behind, a shift from earlier patterns in which stolen donkeys were kept for labour or resale.

Animal welfare advocates warn the losses fall hardest on rural households, particularly women, who rely on donkeys to fetch water, transport goods and carry family members to hospital in areas with few transport alternatives. Advocacy groups including the Donkey Owners Association of Kenya say they are working with communities to improve donkey welfare and security even as they continue to press for stronger legal penalties for theft and illegal slaughter, which currently attract only modest fines under existing law.