Desert locusts invades Kisumu county

Pic courtesy

Desert locust invasion has been reported in Muhoroni sub county in Kisumu County bringing the number of counties that are affected to 19.

According to the residents, the locusts were sighted two weeks ago and have continued to devour acres of their farm lands putting their food security at risk.

Benta Adede a sugarcane and maize farmer fears that if no action is taken to fight the locusts, their food supplies will get depleted.

"We appeal to the government to help us fight this locusts. Everyday they keep on increasing. We are afraid that our crops will get depleted and our children will suffer."

Another resident Joseph Ajwang says, "The sugarcane has been affected and it's the plant bringing us income. The planting season is here but we can't plant because of the locusts.What shall we eat?"

The residents are calling on the county government and national government to avert a likely food crisis by protecting their only source of livelihood.

A team of government officers are currently  in the area to assess the situation.

Appearing today on a radio talk show, government spokesperson Kanze Dena said that the locust invasion is a regional challenge that's being addressed by the Kenya government in collaboration with countries in the region through multilateral institutions like IGAD.

According to PBS Newshour, locusts have already covered 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) in Kenya alone. The Food and Agriculture Organization has announced that the locust plague could grow another 500 times larger by June 2020. The United Nations this week allocated $10 million to help in the fight against the desert locust.