Kilifi County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka and Kilifi County Executive Committee Member of Agriculture Luciana Sanzua have confirmed that a swarm of desert locusts were spotted in various parts of the county.
The County Food Security Steering Group has since called for an emergency meeting set for Friday, December 11 to deliberate on a counter strategy amid fears the insects can spread to other parts of the country.
The locusts invaded the country earlier this year and now, a second wave is imminent. The swarms are said to be at a more destructive stage as they need more food to growth.
Residents of Kilifi called for urgent government support claiming that the invasion could trigger famine since the area mostly depends on agriculture.
"Swarms of desert locusts are likely to spread till January. Their flight path maps them to infest more than 20 counties by mid-December." the UN Food and Agriculture Organization stated.
Sanzua also confirmed the presence of the insects stating that she had already dispatched a team of directors and other experts to assess the situation in a bid to take immediate remedial action
Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga said young and ferocious desert locust swarms are expected to swamp the Coast region by the end of the week.
The winds from Somalia and Ethiopia are favouring migration of swarms in Kenya's direction.
