Water vendors in Athi River have been warned against mistreating donkeys while undertaking their daily businesses in the town.
Talking to a section of the traders in Athi River yesterday, Mavoko Subcounty Deputy Agriculture Officer, Hoseah Swanya, said he was concerned with the way those who engage donkeys in conducting water business were mistreating the animals.
"I have taken this initiative not as an agricultural officer but human being, the animals also have their fundermental rights so be donkeys," he asserted.
Swanya disclosed how some of the vendors sterved their donkeys the whole day without giving them time to eat and rest.
He said despite the fact the donkeys were vital to the vendors in helping them fend for their daily income for livelihoods, the perpetrators didnt neither valued the domestic nor appreciated them.
The officer said almost all the vendors had habbits of clobbering the donkeys whenever they were going for water miles away and even on return pulling cats of several 20 litre gerricans.
"They ruthlessly whip the animals whenever they were going either way to collect and while pulling cats filled with several gericans," he said.
He told the vendors to be practically realistic not to compare the animals with water tankers which according to him the donkey perpetrators tried to compete with so as to equally make lots of profits in single days by going several trips.
He warned that very soon, he would engage the livestock department to arrest and sue the vendors for violation of the animals' rights if they did not change.