Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has said the locusts in Meru and Embu counties are too old to pose any threat to food security.
According to the newly pointed Cabinet Secretary, the locusts are old and almost dying.
“Tunataka tu kuwahakikishia ya kwamba hizo nzige vile ziko ni za yellow, hizo yellow colour inamaanisha ni nzige wazee, zimezeeka karibu zikufe. Kwa hivyo hazina uwezo mkubwa wa kumaliza chakula huku,” Munya said.
Munya made the remarks on Sunday while speaking in Karambari village, Mbeere North Constituency.
Munya said the old pests were at a point of laying eggs and that was the reason they were on trees and not out in the field and in due course they will die.
ABOUT TO DIE
“Hizi zimefika age ya kuzaa mayai, na zikisha zaa mayai ni kufa tu inangoja. Isipopata mahali ya kuzaa, zitazaa huko kwa miti. Zikizaa kwa miti na yai haijaenda kwa mchanga hata hiyo yai itakufa. Haitapata nzige wengine,” Munya added.
This comes even as the Cabinet Secretary said a consultant, had been contracted to assess the damage caused by the locusts so far.
“We would like to know the magnitude of the crops destroyed so that we can find ways to assist the victims,” he said.
Swarms of locusts crossed into northeast Kenya on December 28, 2019 and have spread into several counties including Embu, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Samburu, Meru, Turkana, Machakos, Kirinyaga, Tharaka-Nithi and Laikipia.
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