A sad Evelyne Kyule and her children fled their Kioa village home in Kitui's Mumoni sub-county a month ago after millions of locust eggs hatched into nymphs outside her compound.
Now she is back home a happy woman. The nymphs are dead after NYS servicemen sprayed them.
Evelyne, a mother of three, could hardly hide her joy when she found her house empty of the nymphs a few days ago.
Several swarms of locusts had on January 21 invaded Kitui through Mwingi North.
Mumoni was moist and sandy – the perfect breeding ground for the voracious creatures. The eggs hatched in early February. The nymphs were all over, including Evelyne's bedroom.
The children were distressed and Evelyne was forced to seek shelter from her neighbours until 160 NYS servicemen arrived to spray the nymphs. By then, her sorghum had been ruined.
Kitui Deputy Governor Wathe Nzau said the spraying was done successfully in all breeding sites of Tharaka, Tseikuru, Kyuso and Mumoni.
“The exercise is 98% done. We are on the verge of eliminating the nymphs,” Wathe said after visiting Mumoni ward.
The national government had given Kitui 14,000 litres of pesticide to spray the locusts.
Agriculture executive Emmanuel Kisangau commended residents for their cooperation.
“Farmers worked hand in hand with NYS servicemen, showing them the breeding cites, refilling knapsack sprayers among other activities,” Kisangau said.
– mwaniki fm
