Kakuma 3 was left in shock this week after a painful incident that touched many hearts in the refugee camp. A Congolese father, struggling to feed his children, was caught slaughtering a female dog behind his small butchery. His plan was to sell the meat as goat or cow meat to his daily customers, who were mainly from Somali, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea and other communities.
This news spread very fast across the camp. Within a few hours, people were talking about it everywhere — in the market, at home, in the streets, and even in places of worship. A man who was once seen as a respectful and quiet father became the centre of fear, anger, sadness, and questions about how hunger can push someone to do something they never thought possible.
A Father Pushed by Hunger
The story did not start on the day he killed the dog. It began months before, when UNHCR announced that refugees under Category 3 would no longer receive food rations. This decision changed the lives of many people overnight. Families who depended on the monthly food support were left with nothing. Category 3 families were told they were “able to support themselves,” but most had no job or income.
This Congolese father was already struggling. He had a small butchery, and it used to help him take care of his family. But after the food support was stopped, life became harder. Customers were also hungry, many stopped buying meat, and others asked for meat on credit because they had no money.
He tried his best to keep the business running, but he was losing hope. His children cried at night because they were hungry. He felt helpless and broken. The pain of watching his children sleep with empty stomachs pushed him to make a choice that destroyed everything for him.
A Scene Nobody Expected
One morning, a neighbour saw something strange behind the butchery. He heard a short cry of a dog, then silence. When he walked closer, he found the father slaughtering a dog. The neighbour could not believe what he was seeing.
“I asked him what he was doing. He tried to hide it, but I saw it was a dog, not a goat,”
said a shopkeeper who witnessed the scene.
Within minutes, people gathered. Many were shocked, some angry, and others ran away in fear. By afternoon, almost the whole of Kakuma 3 had heard the news. People rushed to the market, complaining and demanding answers. The butchery was closed and his customers refused to ever buy from him again.
Against Culture and Religion
The main reason the community was deeply hurt is because dog meat is strongly forbidden in many cultures and religions in Kakuma. For Somali, South Sudanese, Burundian, Rwandan, Ethiopian and Eritrean communities, eating dog meat is completely unacceptable.
“It is haram in our religion,” a Somali customer said.
“We can understand hunger, but selling dog meat to us is a big betrayal.”
People felt disrespected and cheated. They depended on his shop for fresh meat, and now they felt afraid and insulted. Some were even worried that they had unknowingly eaten dog meat before.
When Food Support Was Cut, Hope Was Also Cut
This incident shows the hard life many refugees are now facing. When UNHCR removed food rations for Category 3 families, many people were left without any means to survive. The idea was to encourage self-reliance, but the reality in Kakuma is different. Jobs are very few, businesses are weak, and opportunities are limited.
After the food cuts:
Small businesses collapsed.
Parents skipped meals so children could eat.
Hunger increased in many homes.
Youth became frustrated, hopeless, and some joined risky activities to survive.
This father was not a bad man. He was a man who lost hope and made a desperate choice. His story is painful, but it is a sign of what hunger can make people do.
Fear Spread in the Camp
When he was arrested, fear spread all over the camp. Some people started rumours that he had been selling dog meat for a long time. Others became scared that someone else might try something even worse.
“If a father can do this because of hunger, what will others do next?”
asked a South Sudanese woman.
The police took him for safety reasons because the community was angry and ready to attack him. There was worry that this incident could create fights or conflict among different communities.
For some days, many people avoided the market. They did not trust any butcher. Even good butcheries suffered because customers were afraid to buy meat.
Hunger Can Change a Person
Hunger is powerful. It does not only affect the body — it also affects the mind and decisions. When someone is hungry for many days, they stop thinking clearly. The father knew that dog meat is not acceptable, but hunger removed his ability to think about the consequences.
“This man’s action was wrong, yes. But hunger pushed him to the limit,”
said an Ethiopian elder.
This incident reminds us that people in refugee camps are human beings. They feel pain, worry, stress, and fear just like everyone else. When basic needs are removed, people lose dignity, strength, and sometimes even their values.
Community Impact and Pain
This incident damaged trust between the butcheries and the communities. It also affected relationships between different nationalities in Kakuma. Some people blamed UNHCR for the food cuts. Others blamed leaders for not speaking up. Anger spread fast.
“UNHCR removed food but did not give us jobs. How do they expect us to survive?”
asked a Burundian youth.
Families became more careful about where they buy food. Some stopped eating meat because of fear. Even children heard the story and asked questions their parents could not answer.
What Can Be Done?
To prevent such painful incidents from happening again, the community and humanitarian organisations need to work together. Here are some steps that can help:
Review Food Support for Category 3
UNHCR needs to look again at how food is distributed. Removing food completely without giving job options leaves families suffering.
Provide emergency food for families with no income.
Offer small grants to support business growth
Support Mental Healthy
Hunger causes stress, depression, and hopelessness. Counselling can help refugees manage emotional pressure before they make risky choices.
Strengthen Community Support
Communities can create support groups where people in need can share their problems and receive help. Local leaders can also visit struggling homes.
More Job Skills and Income Opportunities
Instead of only cutting food, organisations should increase job training, farming programmes, and small business support so families can earn.
Healing and Unity
After such a shocking incident, there should be dialogue to rebuild trust. Religious leaders, elders, youth and women groups should guide the community to heal, forgive and learn.
A Lesson for All
The Kakuma 3 dog meat incident is sad and shocking, but it carries an important lesson: hunger can make people do things they never imagined. The father did something wrong, but his situation came from suffering and lack of support.
“We don’t accept what he did,” a Rwandan trader said.
“But we feel his pain. Hunger destroys a person inside.”
Many families in Kakuma are going through quiet suffering. Some are ashamed to ask for help, and some do not have anyone to support them. This story should push leaders, agencies, and the community to act now.
Final Point
This incident shows the thin line between hunger and losing one’s values. When a family has no food and no help, the situation becomes dangerous. A father who once worked hard to feed his family is now in prison, his name damaged forever.
Hunger does not only remove food — it removes hope, dignity, and clear thinking. If we want to prevent more painful stories like this, we must act quickly. Food must reach those who need it most, and people must not be left alone to suffer.
If support, unity, and understanding return, then no parent in Kakuma will ever feel forced to choose between starvation and doing something that destroys their life.
