Kenya could be at it again, fighting desert locusts days after the country was declared locust-free by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Swarms of desert locusts have flown into Mandera County from Ethiopia, with residents and area leaders now calling for swift response to avert the spread of the desert locusts to other parts of the country.
In 2020, a desert locust invasion said to be the worst in 70 years ravaged farmlands just before the harvest period, destroying crops and pasture.
The Northern Region was the worst hit and food security for 3 million people was under threat.
Efforts to fight the invasion went on for months with the country being declared locust free on 1st November…two days later, the locusts are back.
Three large swarms were spotted in Mandera County blown in from Southern Ethiopia by string wind.
Pastoralists are worried that the desert locusts will destroy the scarce pasture in the area.
They are appealing for swift response to contain the pests before they spread to other parts of the country.
The desert locusts have invaded about 2,000 hectares of land in Mandera County. This is the third year in a row that Kenya is witnessing a desert locust invasion.