Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has donated some of its trucks to help fight an army of desert locusts ravaging some parts of the country.
In a statement on Sunday, December 13, the military disclosed that Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya flagged off the vehicles at Witu Secondary School, Lamu County.
The vehicles, which were mounted with sprayers, were part of the Multi Agency Desert Control programme.
"Hon Peter Munya Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture launched the Multi Agency Desert Control programme by flagging off Military Vehicles with mounted sprayers at Witu Secondary School, Lamu County.
"The vehicles will be used by the ground crew to to curb the spread of locusts," read the statement in part.
The deployment comes barely a day after the State issued warning over a second wave of locusts likely to hit the country in 2021.
Munya asked surveillance teams to monitor desert locusts in the Coast over fears that the second migratory locusts would be deadlier.
He further noted that it was probable that the insects would migrate from Ethiopia and Somalia.
The CS also revealed that officers from the National Youth Service (NYS) had been trained on how to spray the locusts with locals in affected areas also targeted for training.
“The reality is that the pests are here with us, and there is a possibility that they will invade the country next year from Somalia and Ethiopia.
“The government is prepared and has sufficient pesticides to spray from the air and ground,” stated Munya.
The locusts hit the country in January 2020 and have been affecting Agricultural communities mainly in the Coast and North Eastern regions.
