The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mutahi Kagwe has officially declared the domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) as a food animal.
Mutahi, in a gazette notice dated January 31, said the decision is in accordance with Section 2 of the Meat Control Act.
This decision allows the water buffalo to be raised, slaughtered, and processed for meat, in line with the provisions of the Act.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 2 of the Meat Control Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development declares the domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) as a food animal for the purposes of the Act,” read part of the notice.
The domesticated water buffalo, primarily found in rural areas and traditionally used for draught and milk purposes, will now be recognized as a legitimate source of meat.
Mutahi Kagwe Declares Water Buffalo Fit for Human Consumption
Meanwhile, this comes after donkey was declared as a meat animal on 26th August 1999 by the then Minister of Agriculture Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi vide Legal Notice number 146.
However, mass donkey slaughter for their skins and meat was banned in Kenya due to declining donkey numbers.
According to The Conversation, the global demand for donkey skins and meat is mostly driven by Chinese markets.
In China, donkey meat and skins are used to produce snacks, beauty products, sex stimulants, anti-ageing products and traditional medicine known as ejiao.
Ejiao consists of gelatin that is extracted from boiled donkey hides. It’s claimed to strengthen blood and generally boost health and vitality.
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Details of Water Buffalo
Research shows that there are 74 breeds of domesticated water buffalo, with a total population of approximately 165 million, while only a small number of wild water buffalo remain.
Both forms have gray to black bodies with off-white “socks” and one or two white chevrons on the neck, though domesticated buffalo often display more white markings. Their horns curve backward in a crescent shape in both sexes.
The record horn length is just under 2 meters (6.6 feet)—the longest among cattle or any other bovid—although in domesticated forms, the horns are shorter or sometimes absent.
A single offspring is born after a gestation period of 10 to 11 months. The lifespan of a domesticated water buffalo can reach up to 40 years, whereas the wild form has a shorter lifespan, even in captivity.
The domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), often called the “living tractor of the East,” has been introduced to Europe, Africa, the Americas, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii. It exists in two subspecies: river buffalo and swamp buffalo.
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Breeds of the Buffaloes
The water buffalo was domesticated as early as 2500 BC in India and 1000 BC in Mesopotamia. It was primarily bred for its high-fat milk, which contains 8% butterfat. Notable breeds include the Murrah, known for its curled horns, the Surati, and the Jafarabadi.
The swamp buffalo more closely resembles its wild ancestor and is widely used as a draft animal in rice paddies across Southeast Asia. Swamp buffalo breeds vary in size, from the 900-kg (2,000-pound) Thai and Haizi to the smaller 400-kg Wenzhou and Carabao.
The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) is sometimes classified as a separate species from its domesticated counterpart, though the two can interbreed.
This wild form is an immense animal, reaching nearly 3 meters (10 feet) in length, standing 2 meters tall, and weighing up to 1,200 kg (2,600 pounds). Females are about two-thirds the size of males.
Wild water buffalo have large, splayed hooves and two flexible joints (the fetlock and pastern) near the hooves, which help them move through deep mud with ease.
They inhabit swamps and forests across Southeast Asia, where they graze on grass and sedges, primarily at night.
During the day, they rest in water up to their nostrils or wallow in mud. Using their horns like shovels, they cover themselves in mud to stay cool and protect against biting insects.
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