According to Semera, the re-seeding is among other county programmes funded by the World Bank under the FLLOCA in conjunction with the county environment department. The weed was declared a county disaster in 2024 by the county government
Speaking during the distribution of grass seeds at Emaroro on Sunday, Semera revealed that several groups have already been trained on how to disperse the seeds after mixing with readily available manure.
''For the last three days, they have been uprooting the weed in the demo farm earning Sh1,000 each daily. The comprehensive sensitisation campaign aims at empowering the Maa community to reclaim their land,'' added Semera.
According to the county Chief officer James Ngugi, the programme focuses on reintroducing high-quality pasture species, reversing the damage caused by the fast-spreading Ipomea weed, and restoring the grazing fields.
During the event to hand over the seeds, area residents expressed their joy, saying the idea was long overdue.
"This particular weed has cost us a lot. It has invaded half of my land, I have no pasture for my livestock. I had no other option rather than to move out of this place not knowing where to go, however, with this initiative, I will uproot the weed and use the seeds to reclaim the lost pasture, '' said a jovial Rapas Ole Kida.
Residents have also been leaving with fear as their children risk consuming honey from the plant, which causes drowsiness, and when consumed in high quantities, adversely affects their health.
Patrick Memusi a livestock farmer from Mashuuru in Kajiado East, revealed that the weed had spread quickly, destroying acres of pasture. He had resorted to buying feed for his livestock.
"I have no grass on my 40-acre piece of land. We just saw the weed spreading very fast when the rain began. We are therefore appealing to the county government to come to our aid and help us get rid of this weed before it eats up all the grass," said Memusi.
Kajiado Central is the most affected area, with statistics from the county government indicating the weed has occupied at least 45 per cent of pasture land.