This archive report was first published on 15 January 2020.
Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Peter Munya, has hit the ground running in his new role, announcing a Sh230 million allocation to combat the desert locust invasion that has affected eight counties.
The desert locusts, which crossed into Kenya on December 28, have been devouring livestock pasture and vegetation in the affected areas.
Speaking during his first press briefing as Agriculture CS, Munya urged local farmers not to worry about the locust invasion and instead proceed with their normal farming activities.
He took over as Agriculture CS on Wednesday, a day after incumbent Mwangi Kiunjuri was fired by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The government has increased its capacity in manpower, surveillance, and fumigation in the affected counties to ensure that there are no further locust emergencies.
Eight more aircraft will be deployed on Thursday to carry out surveillance and aerial fumigation across the affected counties.
The military PP1 aircraft will be deployed in the heavily affected counties of Garissa, Mandera, and Marsabit to contain the movements of the locusts.
Private sector companies have also joined the fight against the locusts in the border areas of Laikipia and Isiolo.
Regional efforts to combat the locusts have been bolstered by the deployment of additional aircraft from Zambia and the receipt of four more aircraft from Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Pipeline, and Kenya Forestry Service.
The ministry of agriculture has contained seven swarms of locusts that had initially invaded Mandera, Garissa, and Wajir, while five other swarms are still under surveillance.
However, the ministry has not been able to quantify the extent of the locust damage so far, promising to report the damage once an assessment is done.
Dr. Stephen Njoka, Director of the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa, warned that fully eradicating the locusts is difficult due to the threat of more swarms coming from Somalia.
He also cautioned against eating locusts that have been sprayed, as they may be contaminated.
