• Twenty-seven counties have so far been affected by locusts since the first invasion was reported in Mandera on December 28.
• CS confirmed that five swarms have been sighted in Samburu and that since the invasion, 500 swarms have been destroyed.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
A tough terrain and insecurity have posed a big problem in the fight against desert locusts in the counties that have been affected.
Counties in Eastern, Northeastern and parts of Rift Valley, especially Samburu and Turkana, were worst affected.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said swarms of locusts are largely concentrated in areas with rugged terrain of hills and valleys and this has made ground scouting difficult.
The CS spoke on Sunday in Maralal where he was on a tour of Samburu and Turkana counties to review progress in combating the locust menace.
“The control team cannot use vehicles to do surveillance because of the terrain as the hills are sharp and roads may not exist in some of those areas. There is also the problem of insecurity in the Suguta Valley neighbouring Turkana and Samburu counties,” he said.
Munya said the government was relying on aerial surveillance to monitor and then spray. He said a spraying aircraft will be stationed in Samburu to control the pests within the county and the border with Turkana.
“There will be another helicopter in Isiolo county to spray the areas bordering the county in case swarms are sighted there. There is always a possibility that the swarms can move to other areas of neighbouring Isiolo or Laikipia counties,” he said.
Munya said Kenya will be locust-free in the next two months after intensified spraying in Turkana and Samburu counties.
Twenty-seven counties have so far been affected by locusts since the first invasion was reported in the country in Mandera county on December 28 last year.
The other counties are Mandera, Marsabit, Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo, Meru, Kitui, Machakos, Samburu, Baringo, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Makueni, Laikipia, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Kajiado, Kericho, Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu, Kisumu and Kakamega.
Munya confirmed that apart from ground spraying, a helicopter and a fixed wing plane have been stationed in Samburu county for aerial spraying in the affected areas of Samburu East and Samburu North subcounties.
"At the peak of the invasion, 27 counties were affected but due to government and stakeholders’ efforts, only a few swarms are remaining in Samburu and Turkana counties and we are intensifying ground and aerial sprays to get rid of them in the next two months," Munya said.
The CS pointed out that the reason locusts were still in Samburu was because of the remote and rough terrain in the infested areas coupled with insecurity in Suguta Valley in Samburu North.
Munya added that his ministry was expecting a report from the Kenya Red Cross on the extent of destruction in Samburu county that would help the national government set aside funds to cushion herders who have been affected.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Desert Locusts Watch said there were new sightings of immature swarms in Samburu county in northwest Kenya and other swarms near the border with Uganda in Turkana county.
Ground and aerial spraying has been going on for the last five months in affected counties, while ground crews of monitors are using web-based tools to direct aerial and ground crews to infested sites.
Munya assured that the remaining swarms in remote areas and some areas with security challenges will be sprayed from the air.
He commended the National Youth Service, county and national government officials, together with experts from FAO for leading the effort to contain the menace.
Dr Tobias Tavakarasha, FAO representative in Kenya, said massive operations both ground and aerial have been done in Turkana to control and contain second-generation of locusts either at hopper or swarm stage.
“In addition to controlling the desert locust infestation, FAO is responding to the impacts of the locusts on the livelihoods of affected communities to ensure they get fully back on their feet. We may not completely eradicate the desert locusts but we can put them under control and ensure that farmers continue. But we also need to strengthen our surveillance efforts,” he said.
Tavakarasha said it is not possible to give a specific date when the locust menace will be cleared, but it is possible to have contained to a large extent what would have been a disaster.
He said beyond supporting farmers in the short term, there is a need for strengthening their farming capacity with extension, recovery efforts and provision of seeds beyond just the control efforts.
“So, when we put together our assessment efforts, the recovery efforts, they are meant to ensure that agriculture continues and the fight against hunger is strengthened so that, ultimately, Turkana county can become food self-sufficient. That is the hope of everyone,” he said.
Edited by Henry Makori