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A team of scientists from the University of Nairobi in collaboration with Isiolo County government have discovered innovative ways of managing and controlling the invasive Prosopis Juliflora weed popularly known as ‘Mathenge’ in the Arid and Semi-Arid Land counties.
The pods from the plant can be mixed with locally available grass to produce highly nutritious animal feeds and its stems can be used to make brickettes for cooking.
The invasive species has for long been a bitter pill to swallow for residents living in the arid and semi arid land counties.
The tree often creates a thicket which is a hideout for dangerous wild animals that prey on livestock and humans.
During the rainy season, the villages experience severe floods due to blockage of water paths as the plant has grown extensively taking the pathways.
It is against this backdrop that scientists from the University of Nairobi and Veterinaires sans Frontieres Suisse teamed up with Isiolo County Government to find a solution.
After months of research, the scientists discovered that the pods from the plant species are highly nutritious when mixed with animal feeds.
They noted that when properly maximized, it could be the ultimate solution to the scarcity of pasture for pastoralist communities especially during the dry seasons.
This comes amid calls to the Government to help the communities to commercially exploit the plant by manufacturing animal feeds and even production of clean energy through making brickettes.
