Kenya: Experts for Transboundary Pest Management in East Africa

On Wednesday, experts began a three-day meeting in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to promote transboundary pest management in the East African region.

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The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional ministerial meeting on risk transfer and transboundary pest management brought together more than 100 stakeholders from IGAD member states, along with representatives from partner organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank.

The focus of the meeting is to foster collaboration in effectively managing and controlling desert locusts and other transboundary pests across the region.

In his opening remarks, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said frequent outbreaks of transboundary pests such as desert locusts, Quelea birds, fall armyworms and African armyworms pose severe threats to agriculture across the region, exacerbating food insecurity and economic instability.

"The transboundary nature of these pests adds a layer of complexity to our efforts, as they disregard national borders, necessitating a unified regional response," Gebeyehu said.

He noted that climate change further compounds the issue, with events like El Nino creating favorable conditions for pest propagation across the East African bloc.

Jonathan Mueke, principal secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Kenya, said the regional meeting will coordinate efforts to monitor and control pests, strengthen regional capacities in bio-pesticide use, and develop a comprehensive action plan to tackle the pests.

"Kenya, as the host nation, will share its expertise and successful pest management strategies, benefiting both the country and its regional partners," Mueke added.