The locals have for years depended on donkeys for livelihoods, farming, or transport.
According to a report by Reuters, the criminal gangs supply the donkey skins to China which are used in traditional medicine. The Chinese believe that the medicines stop ageing and boost libido.
Reuters quoted government data which indicates that Kenya has four licensed donkey abattoirs that slaughter around 1000 donkeys a day.
The high demand for donkey products in China has led to a thriving black market in Kenya which is controlled by criminal gangs.
A Naivasha chief who spoke to international media organisation said: “Donkey owners have formed groups to protect their animals. They do night patrols and form search parties when donkeys go missing. They even organised protests about the thefts,”.
According to a survey by Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation, more than 300,000 donkeys in the country have been slaughtered for skin and meat export in less than three years.
The survey added that more than 4,000 donkeys were reported stolen over the same period from April 2016 to December 2018.