Kajiado County has launched a community sensitisation campaign aimed at eradicating Ipomoea, an invasive weed that has choked grazing fields across the region.
According to Michael Semera, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, the weed, declared a county disaster last year by Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, has taken over vast areas of grazing land, causing immense losses to livestock farmers as no pasture can grow beneath it.
Speaking during the campaign launch in Matapato South, Semera stressed the urgent need to curb the spread of Ipomoea, warning that it threatens livelihoods by suppressing grass and other vegetation, rendering large tracts of land unproductive and unsuitable for livestock grazing.
He noted that Ipomoea has spread widely in Matapato North, Matapato South, and Imaroro in Kajiado East, severely affecting livestock keepers who are now forced to relocate in search of pasture, despite recent rains in their areas.
“The only solution is to uproot it, especially during the rainy season when it becomes easier to remove. We are calling upon all farmers to uproot it from their farms to protect the environment and save our livelihoods,” said Semera.
As part of the campaign, the department has sensitised 10 community groups, each comprising 100 members, who will relay the information to the wider community.
Semera added that under the World Bank-funded Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program, the county is reintroducing high-quality pasture species to communities to help reverse the damage caused by the fast-spreading weed, locally known as Oltiameleteti.
The CEC further revealed that the County Government has set aside 30 acres of land in Imaroro and Matapato to serve as demonstration sites.
Here, community members, supported by technical officers, will lead efforts to clear Ipomoea and restore the land.
During the sensitisation exercise, technical officers demonstrated how to identify, uproot, and safely dispose of the invasive plant.
Grass seeds were also distributed to community groups to aid in regenerating cleared land with pasture, improving livestock production and soil health.
Ipomoea was first detected in Kenya during the 1997 El Niño rains and has since spread to an estimated three million acres in Kajiado County alone.
