Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri on Friday, January 10 issued a statement concerning the desert locust invasion in the country.
Kiunjuri disclosed that measures were being put in place to counter the locusts and that a number of counties remained at risk of the swarm.
The locusts, which first ravaged Wajir County, reached Isiolo on Thursday, January 9 with Meru residents also reporting sightings.
The CS disclosed that Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia and Samburu were the exposed counties as he advised citizens to remain vigilant and report any sightings.
"We have managed to spray several large swarms and today the government has deployed a second spraying aircraft to Isiolo.
"We have identified elders, chiefs, county commissioners and community leaders who we are working with to report and we are also training people to deal with the locusts," he stated.
He explained that the first batch of locusts crossed the border from Somalia into Kenya on December 28, 2019.
Kiunjuri asserted that the government had engaged several experts, bodies and agencies to work together including the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Pest Control Products Board and the University of Nairobi.
Citizens were urged to report to their area chiefs, county commissioners or community elders, sightings of the desert locusts to facilitate quick action.
"It is important that we alert all Kenyans that not all grasshoppers are desert locusts. We need to avoid spreading alarm about the spread of locusts which is diverting attention from other critical areas," he opined.
He further disclosed that the government's intent to pursue a regional strategy in dealing with desert locusts was hampered by resource challenges at the Addis-based Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA).
"The Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa has had challenges mobilizing aircraft and resources. In fact, we have been left to fight alone," he noted.
