Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi on Tuesday called for a sustained fight against desert locusts warning that the ongoing rains could create new breeding grounds for swarms.
Wajir is among over 10 counties that have been declared free from locust invasion but the governor said the insects have not been completely eradicated.
And with lush vegetation emerging as a result of the rains, Abdi said the threat posed by the desert locusts was far from over.
He said swarms could be breeding in areas that cannot be accessed and that some might enter the neighbouring counties and Somalia.
The governor spoke in his office when he hosted a team from the Agriculture Ministry and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
He said the locust invasion had caused extensive damage to the livelihoods of residents and urged vigilance so that the insects are completely eradicated.
The governor said there were successes in the fight against locust invasion but "we have some challenges to overcome as we enhance surveillance based on the existing threat of another cycle of invasion."
“Most parts of the county have reported rainfall. I appeal to all our partners in this field, led by the State Department of Agriculture and FAO, to respond to the President’s call on investing in food security and nutrition and support the county in the control of the re-emergence of the pests,” Abdi said.
