This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
On January 10, 2020, Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri asked Kenyans to take pictures of insects they suspected to be locusts and post them on social media so the ministry could confirm if they were indeed desert locusts.
His advice came after the rapid spread of desert locusts in Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, and Samburu, with some Kenyans claiming to have spotted the insects in Meru, leaving farmers in panic over their miraa plantations.
However, instead of taking the CS's advice seriously, Kenyans decided to have a bit of fun with it, sharing funny images of insects they suspected to be locusts, asking CS Kiunjuri to confirm if they were indeed desert locusts.
Some of the images shared included a picture of an insect spotted at a garage in Isiolo, with the caption 'CS Kiunjuri confirm if it's a locust…'
Another image showed an insect found in an office basement parking, with the caption 'Which government agency am I supposed to report to so they can tell me whether its a locust or not?'
Some people even joked about holding their beer, saying 'Hold my beer?'
It's not clear how many of the images shared were actually of desert locusts, but it's clear that Kenyans had a good laugh at the CS's expense.
