National Donkey Day Commemorated Across East Africa : BROOKE East Africa Advocates for Donkey Welfare and Species Preservation

National Donkey Day is celebrated on May 17th every year across East Africa with events unfolding in Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and Somaliland.

The annual celebration underscores the importance of recognizing donkeys as valuable animals deserving of care, given their indispensable role in enhancing people’s livelihoods, especially for women in arid areas.

This year marks two significant milestones. Firstly, Brooke- Action for Working Horses and Donkeys, as an animal welfare charity, commemorates 90 years of providing hope for equines. Secondly, we welcome the AU ban on donkey skin trade that took place in February of this year during the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The theme for this year’s National Donkey Day is “The Year of Donkey Species Preservation in Africa,”
highlighting the critical role donkeys play in supporting livelihoods. The theme is cojoined with AU-IBAR in line with the call for implementation of the Dar es Salaam declaration and the AU executive decision to ban slaughter of donkeys for the skin trade.

As communities worldwide, particularly in Africa, grapple with adapting to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, donkeys remain resilient assets playing vital roles in sustainable agriculture, transportation, and livelihoods. Their adaptability to changing and drying environments positions them as vital economic drivers, especially in rural populations across Africa, a
contribution worthy of recognition in national GDP assessments.

Currently, there is growing concern over the alarming decline in donkey populations across Africa, primarily due to unsustainable slaughter for their skin to meet the growing demand of ejiao (traditional Chinese medicine). The emergence of bush slaughter as a new threat further exacerbates the pressure on dwindling donkey populations, posing not only an ecological concern but also a public health hazard through the sale of illegally slaughtered donkey meat. The indiscriminate slaughter of donkeys not only
inflicts cruelty upon these animals but also risks the transmission of zoonotic diseases to unsuspecting
consumers.

“In addition to the skin trade, the Kenya meat market is slowly being saturated by donkey meat, posing
significant health risks. As we commemorate National Donkey Day, it is imperative that we address these
concerns and initiate dialogues on the policies and legislation necessary to protect donkeys from
exploitation while enhancing their health and welfare,” says Dr. Raphael Kinoti, Regional Director of Brooke East Africa.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Interior Security held a high-level meeting in partnership with the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Public Health to existing livestock policy on food security as well as the safety of donkeys.

“We are looking at the rules and regulations within the livestock sector with a plan to role out a rapid response initiative.” Said PS Raymond Omollo.

Adding to this PS of Agriculture Hon Jonathan Mueke added, “We want to find out where the gaps are to
protect consumers of meat.”
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