Where donkeys wear make-up

While walking on the narrow streets of Lamu Old Town, visitors are confronted by a shocking sight -- donkeys in colourful clothing, make-up on their jaws, eyelids and hoofs, and jewellery around the neck, with a hat perched on their heads. 

The unusual efforts by Lamu donkey owners are not just for fun. They are geared to making the animals stand out; to attract local and international tourists, and even the local residents that wish to move around Lamu on the backs of the extremely decorated beasts of burden, at a fee.

Donkeys are the main mode of transport across the Lamu Archipelago, which comprises more than 35 islands situated many miles apart.

The archipelago has more than 10,000 donkeys, with Lamu Old Town having more than 3,000 of the animals.

Since time immemorial, donkeys have been part and parcel of the Lamu Old Town, a world heritage site that continues to attract thousands of tourists who go to learn about its culture and rich heritage.

Donkeys are relied on more than handcarts to transport cargo to and from markets by the Swahili.

It is not uncommon to see a line of loaded donkeys heading off from Lamu town to the interior parts of the island without their master, but they will deliver the goods safe and sound, at the right destination.

Now, the owners have resorted to beautifying their animals to make money.

Mr Mohamed Omar, a donkey owner in Lamu Town said through such efforts, many of the owners have been able to earn between Sh500 and Sh1000 on a good day, with most of their clients being international tourists.

“Tourists coming to Lamu prefer riding on the backs of donkeys. In order for the donkeys to be attractive and easy to spot, we prefer decorating them. Once we do that, even the riding fees go up. We normally charge between Sh100 and Sh200 for tourists and Sh50 for locals to ride a donkey. For a well-decorated donkey, however, we charge between Sh200 and Sh500 for a tourist and Sh100 for locals, depending on the time taken with the animal,” said Mr Omar.

He added, “During high tourist seasons, I usually go home with more than Sh1,000 a day, but currently, the economy is bad. I only make Sh300 or Sh400 a day.”

The idea to decorate donkeys has opened other doors.

In this campaign season, politicians are hiring the animals at hefty fees, and the animals are branded in political party colours, said Mr Yusuf Hamza.

“During political campaigns, we prefer decorating our donkeys with political party colours. By the end of the day, we get good money from the party leaders. Sometimes the politicians book us earlier. We expect business will be even better as we approach the August 9 General Election,” said Mr Hamza.

Nation.Africa also established that apart from the business people, decorating donkeys has also been embraced by those who own the animals for their personal use.

Donkeys are part and parcel of the Lamu household. In Lamu, donkeys are treated with utmost care and respect, just like one does to fellow human beings.

“We’re following the Swahili saying ‘Mtunze punda akutunze’ (Take care of the donkey and it will take care of you). We have specific days when our donkeys rest. That’s when, as owners, we pamper them, including dressing and decorating them so that they also feel loved,” said Mr Ahmed Mwenye.

As the owners enjoy the benefits of having donkeys, they also reciprocate by being ready to spend a fortune to ensure their animals eat well, receive medication when it’s required, are not overworked and they sleep comfortably.

“I can confidently say that donkeys in Lamu are the most treasured -- more than vehicles and motorcycles as is the case in Mombasa, Voi, Malindi and other coastal towns,” said Mr Salim Musa.

Mr Solomon Onyango, in charge of animal welfare, praised the donkey owners of Lamu for being at the forefront in ensuring their animals are well taken care of.

He advised them to also make use of the Donkey Sanctuary on Lamu Island, to ensure the health of their animals is checked free of charge.

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