Kitui County has drafted a donkey policy aimed at providing appropriate legislation to ensure the donkey is protected from abuse.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting on donkey welfare in Mwingi, Director of Caritas Kitui Florence Ndeti said that despite their valuable contributions to society, research and development into donkey use has been minimal.
“They receive least consideration in comparison to other species of livestock and their welfare is often quite neglected because they are usually the cheapest, often the only affordable working animal and therefore, they tend to be associated with the poor,” said Mrs Ndeti.
The Director observed that in contrast, cattle and camels which were usually kept for their milk and meat as well as work, hides that are cured for leather and payment of bride price, donkeys were solely reared for work.
“This policy on donkey welfare is an integral part of animal health and production and manifests in physical and psychological wellbeing, better performance, and improved market access, safe and mutually beneficial companionship,” added Mrs Ndeti.
She said welfare for the donkeys entailed freedom from hunger, thirst, malnutrition, fear, distress, physical and thermal discomfort, pain, injury and disease.
However, Ndeti said that traditional beliefs and low purchasing power of owners resulted to a negative attitude that manifest in prioritisation of the other livestock over the needs of working donkeys.
‘This reflects on provision of feeds, water, medication and vaccination to donkeys and consequently it affects their wellbeing,’ she said.
Ndeti lamented that working donkeys are not provided with housing and protection at household level.
“They are overworked during day time and left to feed at night which exposes them to theft and attacks by wildlife. Similarly, there is no established way of dealing with aged donkeys that no longer work,’ said the Caritas Kitui Director.
Ambrose Musyimi, who works closely with donkey owners, said that although working donkey owners in Kitui County upheld their freedom from pain, injury and disease for animals, there was a general low awareness, recognition and compliance with the other four freedoms, especially in the area of feeding, transportation and certain cultural sports.
“In the devolved government system, County governments have a role to take the lead in ensuring animal welfare among communities through creating awareness, providing appropriate legislation and animal control services including licensing of companion animals and facilities for the accommodation, care and proper disposal of animal carcasses,” said Musyimi.
Dr Donald Masila, a veterinary officer and head of Mtunze Punda Daima Project, said the economic contribution of working donkeys was discernible but often overlooked due to lack of facts backed up by reliable data.
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“Working donkeys are an important source of support to sustainable household livelihoods in Kitui County. They provide employment opportunities and generate direct income for their owners and sustain the local economy and yet consideration for donkey welfare is relegated to the periphery,” said Dr Musila.
The Vet observed that there has not been an effective policy, legal and regulatory instrument protecting donkeys specifically considering their unique place in contributing in directly to food, nutrition and income security.
Bernard Ochieng, Caritas Kitui Advocacy Officers noted that the County has been implementing projects on pasture improvement for improved livestock production and productivity, livestock breeds improvement targeting dairy, beef, local goats and indigenous poultry, yet not a single project is dedicated towards improvement of the welfare of donkeys.
“Donkeys are subjected to all manner of ill treatment. They are overworked, overloaded, whipped, over ridden while pulling in appropriate and wrongly fixed handcarts, maliciously injured by crude weapons and utterly neglected in spite of the central role they play in livelihoods support,” said Ochieng.
He disclosed that these working animals were often subjected to pain and injury by use of non-recommended branding techniques and incorrect euthanasia for succumbing ones, eating, ear-twitching and negative control mechanisms.
‘The limited access to training and extension services for owners makes the situation worse for working donkeys,’ said Ochieng.
He said that the donkey welfare policy was set to integrate working donkeys’ value as livestock and a source of families’ income and livelihood support system in Kitui County.
