KSPCA News

Added on: February 10, 2009

Bullfighting Saga

By Jean Gilchrist, KSPCA Nairobi

The last month oft the year 2008 will always be remembered at KSPCA as the month of the “Bullfighting Saga”. Let us recall: A Bullfighting event was announced as a “new tourist attraction” at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. But – it never was to be ! Thanks to KSPCA and its supporters. Here is Jeans report:

“Wycliffe Gwatemba and I became involved in the bull fighting saga. I was the one that started agitating about it and called in the AWAKE members. Some of them did rally to the call, in particular Josh Ngonyo of ANAW and Pascal Kambutho of KENDAT. Josh arranged a press conference at the 680 hotel which got coverage on both television and newspapers. However it was Josh and Pascal that took the limelight. KSPCA was somewhere in the background in our KSPCA T shirts.

We were the ones that tracked down the organisers in their office at Peponi Gardens, though they had fled by the time we got there. We were also the ones that spent hours at Kasarani police station trying to get help from the police (the OCPD was rude to us and told us he had more important things to do than bother about such trifling matters.  Until I told him that we might have to arrest the bulls which we are entitled to do under law. I pointed out that we could be accused of cattle rustling which amused him very much. He even laughed). However the matter was resolved when the PC cancelled the event.

Which was a relief, I did not fancy having seven enormous aggressive bulls on the property that have to be kept apart. It would have really upset the donkeys. There would also have been the matter of getting them away from their owners who are a tough bunch. Then there was the matter of getting the bulls back to Kakamega before the Saturday event. KSPCA eventually paid for one lorry and the owners found another, so they all left on the Friday.

Wycliffe went to supervise the departure on the Friday (a public holiday). Unfortunately he had on his KSPCA T shirt so he was run off the property by the irate owners. He spent the day outside the stadium until the lorries left. He did a very good job. And it should be mentioned that a Dr Wekesa (no relation of the Honourable Minister Noah Wekesa our patron) from the Provincial Veterinary Office oversaw the loading of the bulls and issued the movement permit for them. He also spent the day at Kasarani. And it was a public holiday (12th December)

There has been a ripple effect from this. Mr Bonny Khawale the “bull fighting Minister” boasted that he had stopped the event because bull fighting belonged to Western province and should not be in Nairobi. He promised that there would be a big event in Kakamega over the festive season starring his bulls. However the disgruntled bull owners of the Nairobi saga refused to cooperate and would not bring their bulls. The result was – no bull fighting!  We have won the battle, but unfortunately not the war.”

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