Police and health officials are investigating an incident in which 25 donkey carcasses were found in a forest in Limuru area, Kiambu County.
The donkeys had been stolen elsewhere and taken to the forest where they were slaughtered.
Health officials and police termed the incident criminal and announced they are hunting down those behind the incident.
Police said they had been tipped off and found 25 fresh carcasses of donkeys with their meat parked in sacks ready for transportation.
The donkeys’ skin had also been packaged for transportation to a market
The health officials processed the scene and ordered the disposal of the meat and skin.
Donkey meat is not illegal in Kenya. Kenya's population of donkeys is under threat after the High Court lifted a 2020 ban on donkey slaughterhouses, allowing them to resume selling the meat and hides to Asian markets.
The high price for donkey hides for use in Chinese medicine has led to donkey poaching and sparked fears the animals could eventually go extinct.
Donkey slaughter was legalized in Kenya in 2012, leading to a rapid decimation of the animal population and cross-border theft.
Although Veterinary experts say donkey meat is safe for human consumption, its consumption is yet to gain ground in Kenya.
A report from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) showed that more than 4,000 donkeys were reported stolen over the period from April 2016 to December 2018.
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