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The Ministry of Agriculture will begin a socioeconomic analysis of the extent of damage caused by desert locusts that continue to wreak havoc in 12 counties.
Chief Secretary Hamadi Boga said Kenya has partnered with the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to hire experts who will assess the destruction caused by pests in a month.
The Ministry is also considering hiring the Tegemeo Institute at Egerton University to work alongside other agencies to be contracted by FAO.
“As a government, we will hire experts, and FAO will also recruit its own agency to closely monitor the destruction caused by voracious diners, and then we will work with communities to rebuild their lives,” said Professor Hamadi.
The swarms of pests, which are expected to grow further in size, continue to devastate crops and vegetation in Isiolo, Samburu, Marsabit, Laikipia, Turkana, Baringo, Mandera, Tharaka-Nithi and Wajir counties, threatening animal and human food security. .
He said the government had spent Sh500 million since the first invasion to buy chemicals, deploy personnel and hire planes for aerial spraying.
The PS noted that the government had purchased 90,000 liters of pesticides, trained staff in all counties, and deployed more New York State soldiers to help with monitoring and spraying.
“The chemicals are enough to catch the planes for the next 45 days and we expect more shipments,” he told reporters in the city of Isiolo.
Heavy rains reported in many parts of the country have threatened to completely stop aerial spraying, which is considered the most effective way to control pests.
Professor Hamadi denounced the logistical challenges in acquiring chemicals from Japan due to the grounding of planes, but maintained that the government has sufficient resources to sustain the fight against locusts for the next three months.
The government has resorted to shipping the chemicals, which takes longer.
Experts have already warned that the first generation of lobsters reared in Samburu, Isiolo, Wajir, Mandera and Marsabit could begin mass rearing.
The FAO in its latest update warned that the current situation in East Africa remains extremely alarming as more swarms form and mature in northern and central Kenya and in Ethiopia.
“… more eggs will hatch and form hopper bands in May, followed by new swarms in late June and July, which coincides with the harvest,” the UN agency said.
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