Donkey owners in Nyandarua County have raised concerns over increased cases of donkey theft and slaughter. 

The matter has also raised eyebrows among members of donkey welfare associations, who have termed it a serious crime that needs to be tackled and suspects brought to book.

Speaking at Ol-Kalou town during a donkey clinic and farmer’s sensitization forum, Nyandarua Central Deputy County Commissioner Micheal Ololtuaa said the government was committed to ending the vice and ensuring that criminals who were behind the wave of donkey thefts and slaughter were apprehended.

Purity Njoroge from the Farming System Organization and her counterpart Macharia Theuri from Brook Kenya lamented that increased donkey thefts leave farmers a frustrated lot since the majority of them depend on them in their day-to-day activities, transporting farm produce.

They said the beast of burden helps to transport their goods to the market, especially during the rainy seasons when the roads are impassable.