The expanding production of ejiao, a Chinese traditional medicine manufactured from donkey skins, has put a strain on donkey populations worldwide. In March 2020, Kenya became the latest African country to ban the export of donkey products, following pressure from farmers' lobbies and animal rights groups. In the wake of the ban, three Kenyan slaughterhouses took the government to court.
After licensing its first donkey abattoir in 2016, Kenya became an epicentre in Africa for the multimillion-dollar export of donkey skins to China. In China, donkey skins are processed into ejiao gelatin, a traditional medicine used in anti-ageing beauty products such as face creams. Ejiao is also believed to improve blood circulation and address reproductive issues.
...