This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
Kenya has launched ground and aerial control operations against locust swarms in northwest Turkana and Marsabit, following sightings of the pests in the region.
According to Prof Hamadi Boga, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, the locusts are in the early stage of maturing and are likely to spread into Eastern Uganda.
Prof Boga, who witnessed the spraying of locusts in Samburu last month, said the exercise will continue based on the location of the locusts, which are now in the hopper state.
"The new swarm of locusts that was seen in Turkana this week is in the hopper state. These are young, immature locusts referred to as hoppers or nymphs. There are not easy to spot as they breed in areas with little human population," Prof Boga said on Tuesday.
FAO warned on May 26 that the first generation of desert locusts in Kenya has matured and was ready to breed, posing a threat to food security and livelihoods in the region.
"Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia continue to face an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods. New swarms from current breeding will form from mid-June, coinciding with the start of the harvest season," said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO.
Despite control operations, recent heavy rains have created ideal conditions for the pest's reproduction in several countries, with juveniles becoming voracious adults in June just as farmers begin to harvest.
