This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
May 13, 2020 - Nairobi, Kenya
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has announced that the locust invasion in Kenya has been contained, with efforts to eradicate the remaining insects underway in four counties.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Munya identified the affected counties as Samburu, Marsabit, Turkana, and Isiolo, where teams are actively spraying and monitoring the situation.
"Our efforts to eradicate them even in those counties are still on, we have our teams on the ground spraying and giving reports. We want to thank all our teams both in the county and national levels for their contribution in making these efforts successful," Munya said.
As part of the containment efforts, an assessment team, including the Kenya Red Cross Society, has been tasked with evaluating the damage caused by the locust invasion.
"I welcome the red cross who are our new partner in this assessment work. This work is going to involve assessing the impact of our intervention, did we do it well, and where did we go wrong so apart from assessing the damage, they will also be looking at the work we have done so far and the effectiveness of those interventions," Munya said.
Locusts were previously reported in 24 other counties, including Meru, Kitui, Machakos, Garissa, Baringo, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Makueni, Laikipia, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Mandera, Kajiado, Wajir, Kericho, Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu, Kisumu, and Kakamega.
