Donkeys' skin has his an all-time high price of Sh1000 locally. [Photo: africauncensored.net]
There is a looming market for donkeys' skin as the price of a piece of the animal's skin has gone up from mere Sh100 in 2016 to Sh1,000 this year.Dr Obadiah Njagi,the head of the Directorate of Veterinary Services, has attributed this to the demand for donkey products in China adding that the trade in donkey skin and meat is a new idea in Kenya and Africa as a whole.Chinese buy the skin by-product known as ‘ejiao’ to make anti-aging products.“We recognise the dynamics of the changing times and environment, but this comes with challenges that need to be continuously reviewed to ensure sustainability of such trade,” Njagi told the Star on Thursday.Njagi noted that there is concern from organisations that work for donkeys’ welfare and communities that use donkeys, on the opportunity created by the trade in donkey products. He also notes that thugs have turned to stealing donkeys for their skin adding that the illegal trade is a threat to food safety and poses a risk to public health and environmental pollution.“This matter is being looked into. A committee has been set up to look into this trade and give a report on how the illegal trade can be contained. This is a challenge that cannot be solved by the government alone, but by all stakeholders and the public,” he adds.