Uganda has confirmed the invasion of the much dreaded desert locusts in three districts in the Karamoja region of Kenya.
According to Uganda’s Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakan Rugunda the desert locusts invaded Uganda through Amudat district from Kenya’s North West Pokot and spread to Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit districts in Karamoja region.
The Ugandan government has on Monday dispatched about 30,000 litres of pestcides and other pestcides to help fight the locusts in the affected areas.
An emergency meeting chaired by the Prime Minister decided that the Ugandan army UPDF should dispatch officials to assist the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries on ground spraying.
The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries has also deployed surveillance teams in Moroto and Amudat.
Dr Rugunda says the government has already paid a total sum of $3 million, as a country’s contribution towards Desert Locust Control Organisation for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA).
Desert locusts, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have destroyed vegetation in Kenya as they move toward Uganda.
FAO says the locusts can live for up to five months, depending on local weather conditions.
They can lay eggs that can hatch after two weeks, with locusts maturing to adulthood in two to four months on average.
They can destroy about 192 million kilogrammes of vegetation in two days.
CN/as/APA