Senators demand probe into desert locust funds

 

Senators have called for investigations into how billionsof shillings meant to fight the destructive desert locusts were used by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The lawmakers fear some of the money was likely diverted into the pockets of unscrupulous officials. 

They said the country’s attention on the desert locusts menace shifted after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in March.  

Bomet Senator Christopher Langat said the probe will enable the House to understand how the money put into fighting the locusts was used.

 “Who knows? It could be another very huge scandal that is hiding behind Covid-19,” Langat said.

The lawmakers said there was an urgent need to unearth both the expenditure and contractors whom the Ministry engaged in fighting the insects.

The desert locusts crossed over into the country from neighbouring Ethiopia in December last year. They attacked at least 26 counties in Northeastern, Eastern, Central and parts of Rift Valley, destroying huge swathes of farmland.

They could arrive again on the winds in Novem berr.

The government mobilised resources, including donations from international partners, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, to fight the insects.

“The problem with Kenya is that people become multibillionaires out of pandemics and epidemics. When there is drought a lot of money is used, but nothing happens on the ground,” Wajir Senator Abdullahi Ali said.

Wajir was was one of the counties severely infested by the locusts.

Meru Senator Mithinka Linturi said that just as with like Covid-19 pandemic, the country was not ready for the invasion. As an emergency, ministry officials could have used direct procurement for the necessary supplies.

“In most cases, many millionaires have been created in this country out of emergencies. I am sure that most procurements within the Ministry of Agriculture must have been emergency procurements,” he said. 

“Seeing that they were emergency procurements, the right procurement procedures were probably not followed. For that matter, getting value for money could have been an issue.” 

Nominated Senator Naomi Shiyonga, emphasised the need to establish whether the heavy deployment of aircraft and personnel to fight the locusts actually controlled the menace.

“We do not know where those programmes disappeared to when Covid-19 broke out. That money might be somewhere and those programmes might have stopped.”

Shiyonga is a member of the Agriculture committee that traversed the country to check the extent of destruction and the government’s response to eradicate the insects. 

“It is good to be told where the money went, why the programmes were stopped, and who is taking over because the locusts are still here with us and are destroying our crops,” Shiyonga said.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said the country needs to know the current status of locust invasion and all the affected counties.

Cherargei said that the ministry should disclose the amount of money that has been spent by the government and donations from well-wishers.

“The ministry should provide a comprehensive list of the suppliers contracted to supply the pesticides, aeroplanes and other equipment," he said.