Police in Makindu have dismantled an illegal donkey slaughter syndicate, arresting two suspects found butchering the animals for suspected distribution to Nairobi.
Officers on Wednesday recovered 20 slaughtered donkeys at the scene and impounded a vehicle believed to be used to transport the meat.
The intelligence-led operation was carried out following a tip-off, prompting a multi-agency team comprising DCI detectives, Kenya Police Service (KPS) officers, and NGAO administrators to raid a secluded homestead that had been turned into a makeshift abattoir.
Authorities said the suspects were “moments away from feeding unsuspecting city dwellers ‘illegal steak’,” with the meat reportedly destined for the Kamboo area in Nairobi.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, officers found the suspects red-handed deep in the thickets, “busy skinning the beasts of burden” under the cover of darkness.
While some accomplices managed to escape into nearby bushes, two key suspects—Grace Mutile, 47, and Bonface Mutunga, 52—were arrested at the scene. Their vehicle, a grey Isuzu D-Max, was also seized before it could ferry the illicit cargo.
“At the scene, a total of twenty (20) donkeys had already been slaughtered, their carcasses strewn across the ground,” police said, describing the site as a “grim testament to a trade that prioritises profit over public health and animal welfare.”
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) experts have since processed the area, collecting and documenting evidence.
The suspects remain in custody awaiting court proceedings, while Sub-County Veterinary and Public Health officers have been deployed to ensure the contaminated meat does not enter the food chain.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations urged the public to remain vigilant, warning that “your health is your wealth,” and encouraged reporting of suspicious activities through the #FichuaKwaDCI hotline.
In a separate incident in February 2026, police in Kiambu and Kajiado recovered more than 30 donkey heads and 120 legs, with authorities suspecting some of the meat had already been transported to Nairobi markets such as Dagoretti.
Donkey meat is legal in Kenya, but concerns have grown over the shrinking donkey population, especially after the High Court lifted a 2020 ban on slaughterhouses, allowing trade in meat and hides to resume, largely for export to Asian markets.
The practice was first legalized in 2012, a move that led to a sharp decline in donkey numbers and a rise in cross-border theft.
While veterinary experts maintain that donkey meat is safe for consumption, it has not gained widespread acceptance locally, with most Kenyans avoiding it.
A report by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) indicated that over 4,000 donkeys were stolen between April 2016 and December 2018.
