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{
    "id": 981585,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/981585/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 395,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Isiolo South, KPP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Abdi Tepo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13350,
        "legal_name": "Abdi Koropu Tepo",
        "slug": "abdi-koropu-tepo-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. Kenya is signatory to an international convention that established the Desert Locust Control Organisation of Eastern Africa. This is a regional pest and vector control organisation with a mandate to promote control of upsurge of desert locusts. Members of this organisation include Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan. It is important to bring to the attention of this House that the locusts did not originate in Kenya. They migrated from the neighbouring countries of Ethiopia and Somalia. There being in place a regional organisation that is supposed to monitor the insects, we expected the information to have been available to Kenya so that action is taken. So, the question I beg to ask is whether as a member State, we were advised of the dangers of locust invasion by the Desert Locust Control Organisation? If not, then Kenya needs to look at its position as a member of this organisation. If information was provided, then the question this House and the nation need to ask is what action was taken? How was that information absorbed? How prepared are we about the fact that locusts were invading our country? In late December when locusts were sighted in my constituency, I brought this to the attention of the regional organisation by calling the CEO. Secondly, I brought the same to the attention of the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture. At that point, it was unfortunate there was only one aircraft serving Marsabit, Isiolo, Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties. Only one. On the part of surveillance, we were asked to send out scouts, identify where locusts are and give the GPS location. Note that these are flying animals. We had to provide fuel for motor vehicle and riders to scout around and provide GPS locations. At that particular moment, I asked Government officers why we could not provide a second and third aircraft, because if left unchecked, the insects could move into the bread basket of this country and we will have some devastating effects. I asked why we could not have a surveillance aircraft. Fortunately for this country, there are those of us who come from what used to be called the northern frontier districts. Yes, agriculture-wise and crop-wise, it is not high potential, but with a vast area, if the officers were prepared, then at that particular point we could have acted. It would have been a buffer against the current devastating effects that we are feeling in this country. No action or minimal action was taken. We, as a House, need to interrogate this matter. Investigations need to be done on why action could not have been taken at the stage the insects first invaded this country. As a matter of urgency, the President needs to declare a state of 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."
}