World Bank lends Kenya Sh4.5bn for locusts fight
Friday, May 22, 2020 8:00
By GERALD ANDAE
A farmer scares away locusts from his maize farm at Karundu village in Nyeri on February 19, 2020.
PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NMG
The World Bank on Thursday approved a Sh4.5 billion loan to Kenya to help in combating locust swarms that are destroying crops in Eastern Africa.
“Without immediate intervention, the locust attack could lead to a deterioration in food security towards the end of 2020 and possible rise in food prices,” said World Bank Country Director for Kenya Felipe Jaramillo.
The World Bank on Wednesday approved another $1 billion (Sh107 billion) loan for Kenya to help it close a gaping budget deficit and tackle the economic shocks from the coronavirus pandemic.
The World Bank loan comes in a period when coronavirus-linked flight restrictions are hampering efforts to wipe out locust swarms due to lack of supplies.
