Mandera Governor Ali Roba has asked the government to declare the locust invasion in Northern Kenya as a national disaster.
Roba who spoke to journalists in Mandera town, Monday, said a fresh swarm of the desert locusts was about to cross into the country from Somalia.
The Governor said little was being done by the National Government to contain the marauding insects, which have now destroyed pasture and crops in Mandera.
He asked those who were briefing President Uhuru Kenyatta on the locust menace to give him accurate information.
There has been no aerial spraying in Mandera and the manual spraying is moving at a very low pace. The County alone cannot deal with the menace hence the need for multi-sectoral approach.
The Governor asked Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS), Mwangi Kiunjuri, to upscale fight on the insects, warning the country was headed to a big food shortage after a heavy rainfall period.
By Dickson Githaiga
