Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has come to the rescue of a man from Tharaka Nithi who was arrested for slaughtering and cooking dog meat.
Mr John Munene was arrested at his home in Karimba, Maara Sub County on August 5 for cooking the dog over hunger and was being held at Chogoria Police Station awaiting for arraignment in Chuka on Friday.
But in a tweet on Thursday, the DPP directed the area's criminal investigations chief to release the man and give him enough food.
"DPP Noordin Haji has directed for an immediate release of the man arrested for slaughtering and cooking a dog for lack of food at Tharaka Nithi County. He further directed county CCIO to liaise with County Commissioner to provide man with adequate food," reads the tweet.
The man said that he took the move to save himself from hunger in the drought-stricken country, and was intending to feast on the meat using a small ugali he had prepared.
He on Thursday said that he was becoming ashamed of begging for food from neighbours, leading him into opting for the dog as his meal.
"I was preparing the dog meat to eat with the small ugali that I had already cooked,” said the middle-aged man.
Were he to be arraigned, Mr Munene was to be charged for contravening section 3 (3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which is punishable with a jail term not exceeding six months.
A person convicted of the crime can also be fined a sum not exceeding Sh3000 or slapped with both penalties.