Alex Kiprotich
2 May 2008
Nairobi — Egerton University has launched a campaign to popularise donkey meat as fit for human consumption.
Egerton University students slaughter a donkey at the Njoro campus, Nakuru on Thursday.
But in a world that is a panorama of socio-cultural tendencies, one man's 'yummy' is often another's 'yuck'.
However, 16 students from the university embarked on a campaign to popularise donkey meat by slaughtering and eating it.
Yesterday, the students from the Department of Animal Sciences led by their lecturer, Dr Jared Ottaro, caused a stir at the institution when they invited fellow students to share in the meal.
"Donkey meat should be encouraged in our diet because its nutrition content is the same as that of beef," Ottaro said.
He said donkeys could be managed easily unlike cattle, which are negatively affected by hostile weather. He said communities should be encouraged to treat the animal in the same way as others instead of treating it as a beast of burden.
After the animal was slaughtered, the students roasted the meat. This attracted hundreds of curious students and other university workers.
Mr Michael Amuge, who roasted the meat and shared it among the students, described it as a 'delicacy'.
The students prepare a barbeque of donkey meat.
"It is not different from beef and is very delicious. However, if not well-cooked the meat is hard," he said.
Amuge said the meat contains fat, which the Turkana community use to treat prostrate cancer. He said Turkana traditional doctors also use the fat from the animal to treat sexual disorders.
"Those with sexual dysfunctions are given the fats from the animal to correct the problem," he said.
Ms Claire Munialo, a student, said they wanted to prove to other Kenyans that the meat was edible.
Munialo, a fourth year student who tasted the meat for the first time, said she would advocate for the adoption of donkey meat in the family diet.
"We should move away from prejudices that pastoralists are the only people who can eat it. They are human beings like all of us," she said.
Munialo said research showed that donkey meat was not harmful and had medicinal value. She added that though not scientifically proven, some parts of the animal's meat cures TB.
"We need to do more research on donkey meat. We will be surprised about its many uses," she said.
Mr Ikaal Amuria said Kenyans should accept the animal's meat to grace their tables and attach value to the animal like others.
Amuria said for donkey meat to be well prepared, it has to be cooked for about one and a half hours.
He said donkeys of tender age should be slaughtered and eaten because the meat for older breeds was hard due to the hardening muscles.
Another student, Mr Ngwiri Waweru, said though he was not comfortable taking the meat at first, his perception changed after he took the courage and tasted it.
"I have never thought that donkey meat is as tasty as what I have eaten today," he said as his colleagues cheered him.
Kenyan legislation that governs animal food products does not recognise donkey meat as human food.
But with the students' bold move, it remains to be seen if the meat will be acceptable to Kenyans.
Ottaro said the negative publicity donkey meat received was also because some businessmen operating butcheries were not honest with their customers about the meat.
Ms Claire Munialo, enjoys a bite of the meat. The students marked Labour Day by feasting on the 'delicacy'. Picture by Lucas Thuo
"When you sell donkey meat disguising it as beef, people will read a sinister motive if they realise your intentions," he said.
Most local communities use donkeys for transport and for farm work.
Public health officers two years ago reported that many butcheries in Nairobi were selling donkey meat to unsuspecting Kenyans.
The police made arrests and confiscated what they said was donkey meat destined for butcheries in Kiambu.
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