Lamu festival that brings out the best in beasts of burden

Dotting the waterfront in the northern part of Lamu Town are donkeys often wandering about as though watching visitors come from the dock.

And back through the narrow streets of the town, one is met with dodging donkeys, ferrying goods from one point to the next. That characterises the pace of life that makes this Mombasa Island attractive to visitors.

Habitually, you will hear shouts like …pambaja ukuta gari yuaja… (hug the wall, there comes a vehicle) which is a call for pedestrians to pave way for oncoming loaded donkeys as they rush to their various destinations.

Beginning last Thursday, November 25 until tomorrow, most of these donkeys are having a tight schedule as the period marks this year’s annual Lamu festival.

They will be shuttling between ferrying tourists across the island’s squeezed terrain, often characterised by little shade, transporting goods within the small town and preparing for a race to entertain the guests.

Streets in Lamu are generally narrow and vehicles cannot operate. As such, there is only one three-wheeler tuk-tuk taxi, which is used as an ambulance. That explains why residents use donkeys as their means of transport.

During the festival, residents hold a donkey race, with the winner receiving a handsome reward and being treated to a king’s reception in the evening.

“During such times, if a donkey is well looked after, the owner is praised and rewarded by institutions that look after the animal welfare in that area,” says Khalif Ahmed, nicknamed Bush, who chairs the event’s organising committee.

As the rest of the donkeys will be going about their normal duties later that day, taking tourists from one corner to the other, the guests will be treated to a dhow race after which other competitions, including swimming and traditional dances as well as Quran reciting, will be staged.

The donkey owners are now keen to ensure their animals are well and ready for the event.

They know a donkey is healthy if it has a high head position with eyes open and ears forward, says another Lamu resident Awadhi Hassan Amwadhi.

“When loaded, the donkey in good health will stand evenly. Donkey owners are therefore advised to look at all four legs for signs of pain or injury and check for cracked or misshapen hooves,” says Mr Amwadhi, who was born and grew up in Lamu.

Donkeys help in ferrying building materials, food and any other goods delivered on the island’s shore by boats.

“If they fall sick, we take them to hospital,” Mr Amwadhi says.

Indeed, there is a donkey sanctuary located close to the waterfront. It is run by the UK-based International Donkey Protection Trust.

The sanctuary has a small enclosure where sick animals are cared for and the rest left to roam the town.

A donkey in Lamu can fetch anything between Sh15,000 to Sh20,000 if one wanted to buy depending on its size and health.

Lamu is not the only place, however, where donkeys are useful. Others include Lari, Limuru and Mwea. Rearing a donkey in these places is serious business, and owners get very concerned if the animals fall ill.

Dr Peter Gothayo Gachie, for instance, was busy with his daily chores in Lari when he received an urgent call.

“Come quickly doctor, Mzungu is in great pain,” said a frantic caller, who introduced himself as George Mwaura. Mzungu is the donkey Mwaura keeps alongside his cattle.

After hurrying to George’s small family farm, Dr Gachie was told that Mzungu had strayed into a neighbour’s farm.

Fearing for his precious crop, the neighbour had exercised a traditional, terrible form of ‘deterrent’ – cutting poor Mzungu all over his hind quarters.

Mr Mwaura was shocked to find Mzungu limping by the roadside. He reportedly told Dr Gachie upon arrival how his heart sunk when he saw blood oozing from Mzungu’s open wounds. The animal was in great pain.

The doctor administered a sedative to Mzungu before cleaning and stitching his wounds. He also applied antiseptic and administered antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs as well as giving advice on wound cleaning and avoiding infection to George.

He also recommended that Mzungu should always be safely tethered in future so that he would not stray.

To the relief of Mr Mwaura, Mzungu is now fully recovered. “I am happy for Mzungu is now healthy and working hard.” However, had it not been that Dr Gachie is funded by Brooke, Mr Mwaura would not have afforded to call him to treat Mzungu.

Brooke is United Kingdom’s leading overseas charity whose aim is to improve the lives of horses, donkeys and mules in the poorest parts of the world.

In Kenya, Brooke works in partnerships with the Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies (Kendat) and Practical Action. Mr Fred Ochieng’, team leader of Heshimu Punda, a programme run by Kendat, says their target is to reach the over 600,000 donkeys in Kenya, most of them in dry areas.

Brook currently works across 10 countries in Asia, Africa, Central America and the Middle East, reaching over 700,000 donkeys. Its goal is to increase the number of working donkeys under its programme to over two million by the year 2016.

Mr Ochieng’, who is also the chairman of the Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (Atnesa), says that half of the donkeys in Kenya are used for transport and tillage operations.

“About a third of the working donkey population is in poor areas. Much of the abuse they suffer is based on negative myths and deeply inculcated inhumane traditional and cultural practices,” he told the Saturday Nation in an interview.

Mr Ochieng’ reckons that a majority of these animals suffer misuse and abuse by owners, users and general public as well as limited provisions for treatment and disease control.

“We are implementing a care programme in Lari, Limuru and Mwea areas. Over the years Kendat has provided veterinary and clinical services for donkeys, mobilised communities and schools to create a culture of care and trained local animal health practitioners for ease of reach by donkey users and owners,” Mr Ochieng’ said.

Kendat has been running a radio programme “Mtunze Punda Akutunze” (Take care of the donkey for it to take care of you) to create awareness in the general public on donkey welfare.

More recently, the firm spearheaded conservation agriculture as most suitable farming technology for Kenya.