ENTEBBE, STATE HOUSE: The government of Uganda has confirmed 15b shillings for the acquisition of materials necessary to handle and mitigate the locust invasion in the country.

This was revealed today during a meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and the government Inter-Ministerial Committee led by the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, at State House Entebbe.

The 15b shillings will be used to for the acquisition of chemicals, deployment of troops as well as hiring of aircrafts for Arial and hand spray of locusts within the next 12 hours.

The equipment will be stationed at the Uganda-Kenya border around the Karamoja area ready to curb the desert locusts currently causing havoc in the neighbouring Kenya.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) the Horn of Africa has been hit by the worst invasion of desert locusts in 25 years posing an unprecedented threat to food security in the entire sub region, where more than 19 million people in East Africa are already experiencing a high degree of food insecurity.

Irregular weather and climate conditions in 2019, including heavy rains between October and December, are suspected to have contributed to the spread of locusts in the region. 

#ENDS…