Uganda pays partial membership fees to locusts body

Desert locusts that invaded parts of Karamoja o Sunday

Uganda has finally paid part of its subscription fee to the Desert Locust Control Organisation for East Africa (DLCO-EA).

The body owns advanced locusts control equipment including aircrafts that can be used for aerial spray of the desert locust.

The organisation had threatened not to offer any support to Uganda, which was invaded by desert locusts on Sunday, since it had defaulted on the payment of subscription fees amounting to Shs18 billion.

 However, according to Mr Benius Tukahirwe, the Senior Inspector Crop Protection Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Uganda has clears Shs10.8 billion to DLCO-EA out of the Shs18 billion.

He says that the development implies that an aircraft will automatically be flown to Uganda, to spray the locusts free of charge because Uganda is a member of the regional DLCO-EA.

Mr Tukahirwe said that the government has bought more chemicals for aerial spray and they will be airlifted to Moroto on Wednesday.