Makueni Police Intercept 2 Vehicles Ferrying Donkey Meat To Nairobi

• National Police Service officers in Makueni county intercepted two vehicles loaded with suspected donkey meat
• Ten suspects, including Antony Kiiru, Samson Kamau, and Paul Kabura, were arrested in connection with the illegal transport
• Preliminary investigations revealed the donkey meat was destined for Shauri Moyo Market in Nairobi
• A multi-agency team visited the slaughter scene, recovering 25 skinned donkey heads and various hooves from a pit within a suspect's homestead

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Makueni - The police in Makueni have arrested ten people in connection with an illegal donkey meat trade.

In a statement on Saturday, December 30, the police disclosed that the bust was made by officers based at the Kwa Kathoka Police Post.

The police reported that the two vehicles; a Toyota Fielder under registration number KDB 991U and a Toyota Wish under KCK 434M, were loaded with what is suspected to be donkey meat.

The suspects include Antony Kiiru, Samson Kamau, Paul Kabura, Cyrus Nthumbi, Isaac Njoroge, Johnstone Kilunja, Samuel Mwangi, Andrew Kithiki, Carol Makau and Francis Makau.

Where was the meat headed?

The officers reported that their investigations into the syndicate revealed the meat was headed for Nairobi.

They visited one of the suspects' homes where the slaughter was done and retrieved 25 skinned heads and several hooves of donkeys from a pit.

"Preliminary investigations suggest that the donkey meat was on transport to Shauri Moyo Market in Nairobi. A multi-agency team of NPS Officers and Public Health Officers later visited the slaughter scene and retrieved 25 skinned heads and, several hooves of donkeys from a pit within a homestead of one of the suspects.

Other exhubits recovered from the scene were crude tools suspected to have been used for the slaughter," the police reported.

Probox ferrying donkey meat busted

Elsewhere, a vehicle en route to Nairobi with donkey meat did not make it to its destination after being involved in an accident.

A Toyota Probox ferrying the wares to the city crashed and rolled off at a spot in Mai Mahiu.

According to eyewitnesses, the load splashed out following the crash's impact. They assessed and established that what was being ferried was donkey meat.

"We checked and saw sacks inside. Upon feeling it, we realised it was donkey meat," said one of them.