• The Government Spokesperson said that 3,000 liters of chemicals to be used for spraying the insects have been dispatched to the affected areas.
• Oguna said the militia behind the bus attack in Lamu were all rounded up and neutralised.
Image: COURTESY
Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna has said the government will use aircraft to spray the locust that has invaded the northern part of the country.
Oguna who was addressing the media on Saturday in Nairobi said that the government has been monitoring the situation in the region closely.
"The President has been fully briefed of the situation and he directed that urgent measures be undertaken to deal with the situation as quickly as possible," Oguna said.
He added that "there will be aerial spraying team that will be spraying the areas that have been affected by the locusts. The spraying will start today and the aircraft will be positioned in Wajir from where all the affected counties shall be sprayed".
He added that 3,000 liters of chemicals to be used for spraying were acquired one week ago and have been dispatched to the affected areas.
The locusts invaded the area in December last year after crossing the border from the neighbouring country of Somalia.
Three counties have been affected so far inluding Wajir, Marsabit and Mandera
A section of Northeastern leaders had appealed for the intervention of the government and the international community to contain the devastating swarms of desert locusts that have invaded the region.
Led by Eldas MP Adan Keynan, the leaders warned that the economy of the entire region will tumble if the insects are not contained within a month.
They said the locusts will destroy the livelihoods of the residents – mostly pastoralists – as the insects are already damaging vegetation which is relied upon by their livestock.
“Our appeal is to the government and other international agencies to provide aerial sprays drones. That is the only effective way because pesticides is what we used to use and are obsolete,” Keynan said.
Oguna said the security in the country is stable following the recent bus attack in Lamu by the al Shabaab militia.
"Security personnel has been beefed up in the area that may have experienced few incidences of insecurity," Oguna said.
He said the militia behind the bus attack in Lamu were all rounded up and neutralised.
Three people were confirmed dead following the bus attack in Lamu on Thursday morning.
Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia said that the militia killed three people and injured the other three at Nyongoro area long the Lamu-Garsen road.
Macharia said that the security forces have been deployed to the area and are pursuing the militia and other passengers were being evacuated.