This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
On May 22, 2020, the World Bank announced a KSh4.5 billion loan to Kenya to support the country's efforts in fighting the desert locusts that have infested East Africa.
The loan, which will be fully repaid in 30 years with a five-year grace period, is part of a larger package of similar loans to be disbursed to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.
The funds will be used by the four countries to enhance surveillance and purchase pesticides to combat the locusts.
According to the World Bank's Country Director for Kenya, Felipe Jaramillo, if necessary action is not taken, the locust invasion could lead to a deterioration in food security by the end of 2020 and a possible rise in food prices.
Kenya's Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Peter Munya, reported that the country has made significant progress in controlling the locusts, with only five counties still battling the pests.
Additionally, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has already approved a $1.5 million emergency relief grant to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to support the fight against the locusts in several East African countries.
The government of Japan has also contributed a $7.5 million package to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support the locusts outbreak in Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti.
The desert locust is considered the most dangerous migratory pest in the world, and the current upsurge, which started in 2019, is the worst in 25 years in Ethiopia and Somalia, and the worst in 70 years in Kenya.
