Two arrested in Garissa after police intercept 66 donkeys suspected to be stolen

Two men were arrested in Garissa County after police intercepted two lorries transporting 66 donkeys without ownership documents or movement permits.

The suspects were arrested on Tuesday after officers manning the Tana Bridge barrier stopped the two vehicles for inspection.

Police said one lorry was carrying 35 donkeys while the second was transporting 31, bringing the total number of animals to 66.

Upon questioning, the drivers allegedly failed to produce documents proving ownership of the animals or the required movement permits.

The two suspects were escorted to Garissa Police Station, where they were placed in custody as investigations continue.

Police also detained the two lorries and the donkeys at the station pending verification of ownership and further investigations into the suspected theft of the animals.

Authorities said the suspects will remain in custody as detectives seek to establish the origin of the donkeys and whether they were stolen.

Donkey products have become on demand which has seen a spike their stealing in several parts of the country.

The commercial slaughter of donkeys is illegal in Kenya, but an active underground trade persists where donkey meat is secretly distributed and sold to unsuspecting consumers disguised as beef. While donkeys were legally classified as food animals in 1999, the government later instituted bans on commercial slaughter due to rapidly dwindling donkey populations and animal welfare concerns.

Animal welfare experts note a complex legal paradox—while the commercial slaughtering process is outlawed, individual consumption of the meat itself is not explicitly criminalized.

There has been an increase in underground slaughter of the animals where cartels operate clandestine “bush slaughterhouses”. They blend donkey meat with cow meat and sell it directly to butcheries, local eateries, and major city meat outlets.

Officials have been staging operations to address the menace.