Donkey's in the streets of Nairobi.[Photo/BBC]
Kenyans have been urged to stop mistreating animals and consider them as beings with feelings.
“Kenyans should see animals as beings that have feelings. Even cows and goats have feelings,” says Dr Diana Onyango, the executive officer of the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA).
Onyango has decried the lethargic attitude with which the animal rights cases are handled by the security officers.
In Kenya, Parliament passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (2012) which was a revised version of the earlier law passed in 1983.
“The laws are there but enforcement is a challenge due to ignorance of the law or the attitude of some law enforcers. We are not seeing a strong support from law enforcers,”
“Those who are taken to court can easily get themselves out because the punishment is very low (Sh3,000 fine or six months in jail or both) and can’t deter repeat offenders.”
Recently cases of animal mistreatment have been on the rise to an extent of beastiality.
Recently, police officers were accused of shooting dead about 300 animals in Laikipia.