Government has confirmed that pesticides have arrive at Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, for airlifting to Karamoja Sub region.
This move follows a swam of about 4,000 desert locusts that crossed into Uganda from Kenya on Sunday through Amudat district, Karamoja region, creating panic among the farmers, pastoralists and leaders in the region.
In response, government officials are in a crisis meeting to prepare how to prevent the locusts that have ravaged several parts of Kenya, from spreading to other parts of Uganda.
” I have called an emergency meeting of relevant political leaders& technical officers @opmuganda at 7pm tonight to immediately swing into action with the preparedness interventions we have been planning to deal with #desertlocusts,” Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said in a Sunday tweet.
Mr Martin Owor, the commissioner disaster management office of the prime minister, had earlier said that the Amudat district agricultural officer had reported that the locusts were about 4 kilometres away from the Kenya-Uganda border.
Latest reports show that the deadly insects were spotted in several parts of Amudat district at about 2pm on Sunday.
Reports say that the locusts entered Uganda via north west Pokot in Kenya, where they have destroyed hundreds of acres of vegetation.
Mr Robert Adyama, the Amudat district resident district commissioner said the locusts have started destroying vegetation.
