Kenya's National Donkey Welfare Day

National Donkey Welfare Day aims to recognise the contribution donkeys make to the national and rural economy across Kenya. We celebrate National Donkey Welfare Day through our Brooke-funded partner Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies (KENDAT).

Kenya's National Donkey Welfare Day is celebrated on 17 May every year in five counties: Kisumu, Nyandarua, Kajiado, Nakuru and Kitui. It encourages donkey owners and users to value them as important animals which need to be taken care of considering the vital role they play in improving people’s lives.

Activities on the day include:

distributing advice and information on donkey welfare, management and husbandry to owners and users
providing veterinary treatment to donkeys in need
sharing ideas about donkey welfare
engaging participants, including the general public, groups, and local councils
encouraging local county officials to adopt welfare-friendly by-laws
promoting a positive image of donkeys in society through local and national media

In previous years, National Donkey Welfare Day has received an overwhelming media response and has dominated prime time news in at least three local television stations. This media coverage enabled our key messages to reach many donkey owners, users and the public.

Leo nimejua punda si kazi tu ni mnyama mwenye umuhimu sana (Now I know that donkeys aren’t just about work but are very important animals).

Animal owner

Facts and figures about equines in Kenya

There are over 1.8 million donkeys in Kenya and around three-quarters are working animals used in transport and farming, playing a key role in Kenya’s agricultural economy.

Around one-third of the working donkey population is in a poor condition, suffering from work-related injuries, malnutrition and lameness. Many of the problems arise from a lack of understanding among owners and inadequate resources, as well as the use of traditional practices such as firing.