Farmers raise alarm over continued donkey slaughterhouses operations despite a ban in place

**Farming Systems Kenya Executive Director Dr.Raphael Kinoti addressing media at FSK offices in Nakuru on April 21,2020.PHOTO/ Pristone Mambili.**

Donkey Farmers and animal rights defenders in South and North Rift regions have raised alarm over what they term is continued defiance of ban on donkey slaughter.

The ban was issued by the Government on February 24 this year.

But according to the farmers many of the donkey slaughterhouses have continued to defy the ban and now going on with the donkey slaughter businesses.

The farmers led by spokesperson Kenya Donkey Farmers Association Isaac Laisa ,they expressed their anger over the continued operation of the donkey slaughterhouses despite the ban.

He says due to the same,theft cases have been on the rise with 29 cases having been reported in Narok,12 in Bomet and 4 in Baringo recently.

Farmers have continued to incur loss and that is why we are calling on government to ensure the ban is enforced” said Laisa.

Sentiments echoed by Ms Tina Talai who lost four donkeys.Fortunately,for her she traced and found three of them before they were headed for slaughter at Mogotio based Goldox slaughterhouse.

“The donkey theft is on the rise.I lost four but traced them and found three of them just before they could be slaughtered” she said.

According to the Farming Systems Kenya-an NGO that is working with farmers to eradicate poverty in society,the continued slaughter of donkeys has let to a lot of loss to the donkey farmers.

The organization says the defiance of the ban is a threat to farmers as they loose donkeys through theft.

FSK says only only two slaughterhouses have complied with the ban.

Executive Director Farming Systems Kenya Dr.Raphael Kinoti has questioned why the government has continued to allow the donkey slaughterhouses to operate despite the ban.

“We are worried as farmers as to why the government has continued to allow donkey slaughterhouses to operate yet there was a ban announced in February” said Kinoti.

He adds that the curfew period has seen more donkey theft and they end up being slaughtered with the cases on the rise since March.

Similar cases have also been reported in Bomet and Eldama Ravine areas.

Despite farmers raising the concerns with relevant authority,the reports have been ignored.

For this reason the farmers through the Farming Systems Kenya have called on the government to ensure the ban on donkey slaughterhouses is implemented.

“We call on the Government to ensure action on the the two slaughterhouses still operating in Baringo and Naivasha” said Kinoti.

He added that as Farming Systems Kenya they admit that there are harsh economic times for the farmers due to COVID-19 and donkey theft.

According to Kinoti,the donkey slaughterhouses were in export business but then there was a ban hence a question of where the meat from the continued donkey slaughter is being taken to.

FSK has vowed to join farmers in demanding for legal action against donkey slaughterhouses that are still operating on defiance of the ban.

“As FSK,we are perturbed by the continued defiance of the slaughterhouses.The farmers are now thinking of going to court to petition the government” said Kinoti.

March 30, 2018

American Embassy continues community empowerment in Nakuru

Over 30 residents of Nakuru have benefited from a three-day entrepreneurship training courtesy of the American Embassy. The training took place between Tuesday 27th March and Thursday 29th March.

The training that brought together people of diverse ages was carried out at American Corner (American Spaces) at the Nakuru KNLS Library.

Speaking after the training, each of the participants shared their experiences saying the workshop had totally changed their lives for the better.

“When I came for the training, I expected it to be just another of those boring entrepreneurial sessions. I was however surprised when I realized it was more of helping me understand myself as an individual, know myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and what has been holding me down,” said Margret one of the participants.

In the course of the highly engaging training, Mr Tonee Ndung’u took the participants through a process of self-discovery helping them to look into themselves and teaching them to think properly.

“Some of the reasons why we don’t succeed is because we either think too much, fail to think outside the box or have not managed to conquer our fears. While fear is a good driving force, we also must strive to discover what it is that we fear, and work towards overcoming that fear,” said Tonee.

Participants were also taken through a practical process of coming up with a viable business idea and trading to emerge profitable after taking care of all the bills, taxes and statutory deductions.

“You can start an enterprise with big amounts of money and end up making losses and you can start with little capital and still make huge returns. It all depends on what decisions you’re making,” advised Tonee whom the participants highly spoke off.

“Tonee is a trainer unlike anyone I’ve met before. His energy is contagious, his way of delivery is amazingly engaging and he has a way of making his lessons so captivating you can’t afford to miss a word,” says Nancy one of the youngest participants in the training.

Tonee Ndung’us personal life story was equally captivating. Shared in bits and doses in the course of the three days, Tonee’s story was a lesson in self-belief, determination, thinking outside the box and overcoming one challenge after another.

Growing up with dyslexia, it did not prevent him from getting a degree in his chosen field, meeting the people he wanted and setting up a successful enterprise.

The training was made possible through the American Embassy U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

“We have programs meant for everyone and especially the young. We want to empower the youth as we equip them with the relevant skills for the emerging world,” said Mr George Kamau representing the US Embassy.

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May 21, 2016January 21, 2021

Angella Maramba – Librarian with a love for the youth

Had it not been for her job at Kenya National Library Service at Nakuru, Angella Nyamisi Maramba admits she might never have visited the US.

She was, however, to take a month-long visit to several states in the United States of America in July 2014 with four other librarians from other branches in the country. The five of them were being prepared to be the coordinators of the newly established American Corner sections in their respective libraries.

After her return in August, Angella officially took over as the coordinator of the American Corner at knls Nakuru which covers the entire second floor at the ultra-modern library. The corner was officially opened on 3^rd October 2014 by the US deputy ambassador to Kenya.

Education

Angella is the 2^nd born in a family of 12. She was born at Nakuru’s Bondeni Maternity on 23^rd February 1971. She attended Kampala primary in Molo Township before being transferred to St. Mary’s Primary then to Musaa primary where she did her KCPE in 1985.

For her secondary education, she joined Shieywe secondary school where she used to play Netball and she did her KCSE in 1989. After this, she came to Nakuru and joined Superior Commercial College to study Accounts. She studied ACNC 1 and 2 and also CPA 1. She, however, had to drop out of college in 1992 when her dad passed away on 30^th May that year.

“Although I had gotten a job at knls Nakuru by then, it was my father who had been paying the tuition for me and when he was murdered that year, I had to drop out of school,” says Angella. She adds that her first salary was Kshs. 1,100 only.

In 1994, her employer sponsored her to do a certificate in Library Information Sciences at Kenya Polytechnic.

For her diploma, she attended Tracom College in Nakuru in 2010 where she was awarded a diploma by the institution in conjunction with Uganda based Busoga University. She graduated in 2013.

Work

Angella is a trained Librarian by profession. She was first employed on 1^st March 1991 at the Nakuru Library which was then based at Menengai Social Hall grounds. Until January 2013, she was in charge of the Nakuru Library Junior section before taking over as the AC coordinator.

She counts the programs she has organised aimed at empowering the youth as some of her greatest achievements.

“The American Embassy has been very supportive in the running of the programs and I really thank them for my successes,” says Angella.

The awarding of full scholarships to some Nakuru students to study in the US has to be the greatest achievement of the American Corner. The first batch of 14 students will be leaving on 20^thJuly 2016 and another 38 are being prepared for the same,” says Angella.

Other projects she has done are training the youth on entrepreneurial and practical income earning skills like bead making and shaggy mat making.

In her capacity as the AC coordinator, Mrs. Wanyonyi has also been visiting institutions for the underprivileged like Hospitals, Children’s homes, and schools for the physically handicapped. She has also been involved in talents development and for most of 2015 hosted the American Kona Open mike show before it was disbanded.

Personal life

Angella is both a wife and a mother. Her marriage to Corporal Makokha who is a policeman stationed in Garissa has them blessed with five children the last born of whom did his KCPE in 2015.

Three of her children are in college with the firstborn studying Library Information sciences at Kenyatta University. The 2^nd born is at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) doing Computer engineering and the other has studied Plane dispatch at Nairobi Aviation College. Her other child is currently a student at Flamingo Secondary school in Nakuru.

Away from work, Angella is engaged in poultry farming and supplies eggs and poultry to her customers regularly. She is a board member at three schools and the secretary at St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church, Ngata and is also a chorister.

She is active on various social media including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn where she has established her brand.