Friday, August 16, 2013

Famine fears in Turkana as locusts sweep plants clean

A section of Turkana County. Swarms of locusts have invaded Turkana County, completely wiping out pasture. Photo/FILE

In Summary

• The invading insects, travelling en masse and leaving no green leaf untouched, have now sparked fears of a famine among residents.

Swarms of locusts have invaded Turkana County, completely wiping out pasture meant for their livestock.

The invading insects, travelling en masse and leaving no green leaf untouched, have now sparked fears of a famine among residents.

The most affected areas are Lokitang, Kataboy, Loarengak, Kachoda, Kaalreng, Meyan, and Kokuro. Sweeping from one area to the next with frightening speed, the locusts have fed on all kindsof vegetation, which is food for their animals.

Kibish district commissioner Erick Wanyonyi expressed concerns that the locusts may spread to the few irrigated farms in Kaikor and Kachota.

The administrator toured the area and said that reesidents could soon go hungry as they depended on irrigated farms for food.

Mr Martin Ekaal, who lives in Lokitang, called for quick intervention from the Ministry of Agriculture to prevent the spread as they were forced to travel longer distances for pasture.

The insects are spreading towards Kaikor and Kibish on the border between Ethiopia and Kenya.

Locusts are voracious eaters and pose a great threat to livestock and food security as they feed on vegetation, leaving no green leaf wherever they land.