Elders in Karamoja are scared of the repercussions of the government’s plan of spraying desert locusts on humans and livestock.

On Monday, the government airlifted insecticides from kololo to Moroto for spraying desert locusts in Karamoja and other neighboring communities.

The residents say instructions on the top of the chemical, Cyper Lacer Cyper-methrine indicate that it is hazardous effects to animals, livestock, and birds as contaminates water bodies including ponds or streams.

The chemical also poses life-threatening effects to people who are unprotected within 48 hours of application.

After spraying a minimum of two weeks is given before people can harvest their crops for eating and for animals they have to wait at least a week.

Cyper Lacer Cyper-methrine is however effective in the death of the desert locusts but also affects it also other insects like bees .
Elders in Moroto say they are even more terrified because the community has not been sensitized on how to take precaution, something he notes will put their lives at stake.

The poisonous chemical can cause nervousness, anxiety, tremor, convulsion, skin allergies, sneezing, running nose and stiffness of the nose if one is exposed.

The FDC party president Patrick Amuriat on Monday also questioned the safety of the pesticides being used considering they will be interfacing with water used by both humans domestic animals and wildlife. He was concerned about the immediate and long term effects the pesticides would have on all the above.

However, Stephen Tibeijuka Byantwale, the Commissioner of Crop Protection at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, was quoted as saying the government has been preparing for these locusts and the chemicals being applied are less harmful to human life since they have been used over time.

The Ugandan government has listed three chemicals to use in the spray against the desert locusts. They include Fenitrothion a phosphorothioate insecticide, Malathion which is an organophosphate insecticide and Pyrethroid insecticides.

Spraying of Desert Locusts was supposed to start in Katakwi district but it was halted when the insects fled,  ccording to Silver Ongom, the District Production and Marketing Officer.