A team of experts on locusts led by the Director of Special Programmes (DSP) in the County government of Tana River, Abdulahi Hanti, have discovered a growing colony of larva locusts at the Boka-Miti Boma village of Tana North Sub County.
Hanti said the premature swarm is fast growing and will soon cause havoc unless urgent interventions are taken to nip in the bud the threat.
He laments, “there is a looming crisis, expected following the discovery we found and we do not know where we can run to because the worst is coming our way therefore the National government ought to move in fast.”
The DSP said the breeding spot was first seen by locals who having battled with the locusts for more than a week in vain, came across the shocking find running to hundreds of thousands of young aphid-like insects hence informed the area chief.
Hanti also said that unlike the first time when the locusts were red in colour, the insects seem to have matured, changing colour to yellow.
He said that so far, the locusts have caused havoc in seven villages including Nangh, Dima,Warlsorea, Charindende among others posing a definite hunger threat in the near future since all crops have been stripped bare weeks to maturity.
“So far the locusts have contaminated the water at Habakik village, the locals have to move 40km to share another water source/dam,” said Hanti.
The locusts have destroyed vegetation in Sala, Habakik, Maramtu, Bua, Billi Dhidha and Bura Dhima dry, with locals in the other villages staying awake and watchful to disrupt the locusts with noise in case they approach to land .
The team has been visiting the invaded areas in Tana River County for the last three days.
By Simon Guruba
