AfDB grants Sh158m for locust fight

Kenya and her East African neighbours have received a grant of Sh157.5 million ($1.5m) from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fight the locust invasion.

The grant approved on Wednesday will go towards purchase of pesticides and fuel aircraft for aerial spraying of the next-generation swarms.

The locust menace is the worst to hit Kenya in 70 years with more than 20 counties, affecting more than 70,000 hectares of crops according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“A portion of the funds would also be allocated to administrative costs,” the lender said in a statement.

Kenya is grappling with limited resources to fight off the insects, with the country needing to set aside significant resources to fight the other threat of Covid-19 outbreak, which has also slowed economic and food production.

The AfDB already gave Kenya Sh500 million for the fight.