Let's eat yummy locusts — Baringo residents

Baringo residents want to harvest and cook delicious desert locusts.

They want the government to speed up tests to ensure the chemicals  sprayed on locusts to kill them will not harm humans or animals.

They witnessed a swarm of locusts feast on 12 square kilometres of vegetation in Kerio Valley on the border of Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet on Thursday. 

Resident Kaino Cherogony of Kuikui in Baringo North says they are just waiting for word from health experts before they feat on the pests.

“The government should speed up research so we know whether we can safely eat the locusts," Cherogony said on Thursday. 

Charles Chepkete said, “The drought and famine season is around the corner and if locusts are edible, we will collect and store them for later."

They told the government to stop wasting public resources spraying the locusts. 

The yellow locusts will soon lay eggs and die — then the battle is with eggs and wingless hoppers.

Stricken Baringo villages include Murterit, Kukui, Motunoichuch, Maramar, Cheptunoichuch and Kampi Nyasi in Baringo North; Emom, Mogorwa, Eitui, Kisonei, Eitui in Baringo Central and Chepokana, Kamokol, Kalpesa, Tiaty Hill, Kaapelow, Cheptiyok and Cheprukwo in Tiaty.

Ringoi Kipchepkoi, 75, from Kukui roasted and tasted the locusts saying they are delicious.

“My parents and I ate the locusts back in the 60s but didn’t develop any health complication,” Kipchepkoi said. 

The insects are highly nutritious, she said.

“There is not much difference between locusts and the normal grasshopper except the colour, otherwise the size, grazing style and taste when cooked are the same,” she said.

Regrettably, she added, the locusts are hungrier this time.

“I am also pleading with the government and people to stop chasing and spraying the locusts, allow them to graze freely at the end they’ll just disappear on their own."

Kipchepkoi also fears toxic chemicals used to kill the locusts might become harmful to both human, livestock and wildlife health.

Officials have said most chemicals are not toxic but people and animals should stay away for a day.

However, Kabosgei-Kerio chief Richard Chepcheng warned the residents against eating the locusts before they are inspected.

“People should take precautions WITH their health,” he said, adding the government is trying to control the invasion.

Last month, Kericho Governor Prof Paul Chepkwony — who holds a PhD in organic chemistry — advised the Ministry of Agriculture against spraying the locusts.

“Using conventional insecticides would wipe out a large population of locusts and other insects leading to ecological imbalance,” Chepkwony said. 

The governor suggested an alternative of spraying the vegetation with locust- feeding deterrents (antifeedant chemicals) which deter the locusts from feeding on the green matter, hence, starving them to death. 

"We should avoid creating a major calamity by solving such a minor problem," he said.

Edited by R.Wamochie