You already spotted a locust, taken a photo and shared it on social media for the ex-Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri in Agriculture to dissect it for you and tell you whether it is indeed a locust?
A bad joke that cost the former CS Mwangi Kiunjuri his job after he mocked a situation that is soon turning to a crisis and despite the Kenyan Government having been warned it is yet to start the action.
More than ten counties are already experiencing the desert locust’s inflation that are said to cause havoc on crops and the Kenyan Government is still studying the creature to decide what type of locust it is.
Hilariously or rather irritatingly, taking into account the consequence of the desert locusts, a number of leaders have also suggested that Kenyans make a delicacy out of the alien creatures.
- Baringo
- Turkana
- Wajir
- Mandera
- Garissa
- Marsabit
- Isiolo
- Samburu
- Meru
- Kirinyaga
The update from the desert locust situation update that was released on Monday, 13th January 2020 by the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization shows a scary spread of the desert locusts that eat away plants.
The Locust Watch has revealed a significant and extremely dangerous increase in a swarm of locusts in the past fortnight in Kenya and Kenyans have reason to worry as the Government is lagging behind on action.
The Desert locusts have been reported to be attacking crops and seeping them dry making them too frail and die and their scary increase is expected to affect Kenya’s farms and food supply by extension.
The spread of the locusts is a sign of incoming long drought and starvation unless a solution is quickly availed.
“Numerous, large immature swarms are spreading from the initial invasion areas of Mandera county to Wajir and Garissa,” the report read adding that the swarm has spread west along the Ethiopia border of Moyale and Marsabit counties.
“The southwest counties have also been invaded and the central areas north of Mt Kenya which include Isiolo, Samburu, Meru and most recently Laikipia counties,” the report stated.
The swarm of locusts is expected to move west along the Ethiopian border and some swarms could move further south to Tana River county.
Countries expected to be affected by the desert locust invasion include South Sudan and Uganda.
“In all areas, there is an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods,” the UN food agency has warned.
“In the northeast, some swarms have started to mature, which means that egg-laying could be imminent in open areas of sandy moist soil where eggs would hatch after about two weeks and give rise to numerous hopper bands in February,” said the UN food agency.
Somalia is already experiencing the swarm of desert locusts together with Ethiopia as Uganda and South Sudan stand alerted.
In Ethiopia 3,700 hectares have so far been treated since January 2020 begun as the Kenyan government is expected to take a leaf and protect its farmers and in turn all of its citizens.
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