According to Linda McCartney, a popular animal rights activist, "If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone in the world would be a vegetarian.” So, should people be really bothered about how animals are treated before slaughtering? Linda Mbabazi and Laura Kyomya, find out.

"Animals, usually pigs holler endlessly during the slaughter. Sometimes there is not even much effort put into slaughtering the animal and they will just burn them to death. Cattle at many times are hit in the head with a metal bar, their throats are slit, and then they are left laying around to bleed to death.

I regularly slaughter birds and sometimes animals, but I do very fast to avoid torturing them.”

Fred Imanayiragaba, a chef

"The way in which the animals are slaughtered is really terrible. They suffer plentiful amounts of pain and are sometimes vigilant when they are being slaughtered.
 Animals should be made unconscious before slaughtering them, like humans, animals are scared of death. And why are their legs, ears and horns dragged? This is being unfair to them.” 

Anthony Mukenoni, employee of Kigali Taxi Service (KTS)

"Animals are meant for consumption. Slaughtering animals is normal and morally acceptable; it can only be inhuman when the process is done in a humiliating and torturing manner.”

Jean Mubirigi, Heads the kitchen at Car Wash

"If only people could be treated like livestock, dragged and transported in excess, with no breathing space, maybe they could learn to feel sorry for the animals. What is done to animals is totally inhuman. Getting them off the vehicles is yet another misery to the animals.”

Innocent Tumusiime, a waiter at Car Wash

"I have never slaughtered a livestock, not even a bird, I fear seeing blood oozing. I don’t believe in the brutal slaughtering of animals. There are thousands of things people can eat, other than meat.

Like humans, you can see animals pleading for mercy, only that we can’t understand their language.”

Gaspésie Gatarigani, bar attendant

"When I was a little girl, I sneaked into the kitchen, and found when they had slaughtering a chicken. The noise was terrible, but it never survived the knife. I hate the whole idea of slaughtering animals.” 

Jeanette Uwimana, waitress

"Sometimes those animals suffer some of the cruellest treatment. There are appropriate methods of slaughtering animals without torturing or subjecting them to unnecessary pain and suffering.

There are machines meant for slaughtering, and the process should be done very fast to avoid the torture. One time, I visited a slaughterhouse, purposely to get the experience; the way animals are treated prior to slaughtering is terrible.”

Francis Wahome, Manager

"Before we bring up the issue of sentiments, we have to consider two things: Animals are meant for food, and they have to be slaughtered before they are eaten. Literally, it’s normal to kill and eat a livestock, unless it’s a pet.”

Chris Kami, student at the School of Finance and Banking (SFB).

Ends