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"id": 981507,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tharaka, DP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. George Gitonga",
"speaker": {
"id": 13491,
"legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
"slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to move this Adjournment Motion pursuant to Standing Order No. 33(1) of our Standing Orders, so that we can discuss this matter of urgent and great national importance relating to the recent invasion and incursion into the country by hordes and swarms of locusts. My constituency, Tharaka, has had a whole one month of nightmare, with swarms upon swarms of locusts coming to the constituency and into the county from both Garissa and Kitui. In the past, we hear this from folklore, the worst locust invasion similar to what we have may have occurred about 70 years ago. It is not very certain because we were not as literate as we are during those days and records may not have been properly kept. However, I am told from every community in the country, there is an age set that is identified with that locust invasion. It dates between 1943 to about 1950. The history we have today is that locusts which have invaded our country originated from Yemen, a desert country in Asia. Locusts are desert insects. That is why we call them desert locusts. It does appear that the locusts flew across the Red Sea into Somalia and Ethiopia, and then slowly crept into our country. Those from Ethiopia attacked counties such as Turkana and Marsabit. Those from Somalia first invaded Mandera and Wajir and then went down to Garissa. Eventually, we have had more than 20 counties under attack by locusts. To name a few, the first one is my county of Tharaka Nithi and my constituency of Tharaka. Then there is Embu, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Kitui, Samburu, Meru, Turkana, Machakos, Kirinyaga and Laikipia. Today, I am told Kisumu is under attack in Muhoroni and Nyando areas. These creatures are about to surround the entire country. This is why the matter is very important for this House to discuss means and ways of not only curbing the menace, but also ensuring that in the future, we do not undergo such an attack. The country also needs to know what will happen to the farmers who have been adversely affected. Farmers in the counties I have mentioned are facing countless loss and damage to crops and pasture. The most important are crops. Crops are being mauled and we do not have much left. That has its own repercussions. Let us talk about pasture. Locusts loathe seeing anything green. Any green pasture is subject to attack. I am happy the locusts are not in Narok, where they may come across my colleague Hon. Sankok, who loves wearing green. I am certain the locusts would think he is a form of pasture and they would attack him. I am still worried how he would wade them off. Be that as it may, I thank God they are not in Narok. I pray that they do not visit that county. Noting the efforts the Government has put in place to try and control the infestation, there has been little success. I am sorry we had a Cabinet Secretary who was not effective in attacking this menace and he was discharged of his duties. Sometimes what we are told is quite hilarious. He told us to take photographs of the locusts and send them to the Ministry where they would assess the stage of the locusts and devise ways and means of combating them. That did not appear quite attractive and we are told it cost him his job. A new Cabinet Secretary came into office. Again, we have had a lull of about three weeks with the locusts. Recently, when we continued complaining, he informed us that the locusts were too old and were going to die. That may have been the case, but unfortunately, he never told us about the most crucial stage of these The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}