Could bio-warfare be a possibility & a threat that could lead to our undoing?
Until recently when I listened to an inooro TV program, ‘Magetha Smart’, i had not seriously thought about the invasive Persian Mite (a pest that is adversely affecting avocado trees in different parts of the country). The the ever present threat & possibility of bio-warfare had not clicked in my thoughts.
According to the avocados expert who gave insights on the crop and answered questions from the program audience farmers, the pest was identified in Kenya in Nov 2023 but farmers and agriculture sector interested parties somehow ignored it until months later when the threat became evidently a real concern.
Fortunately, research work has identified a pesticide ‘sprayable’ underneath the trees leaves because the mite invades the leaves underside leading to the leaves turning yellow and eventually drying up and falling.
The trees flowers and developing fruits also fall of the branches.
Noticeably, the mite seems to be affecting mainly the grafted trees more compared to the ‘traditional’ or indigenous avocado crops.
As observed among other crops, indigenous plants tend to resist pests and diseases better.
From my minor research, a cousin, from Gatanga, an avocados hotbed and major producer, had informed me about an organic pesticide or manure rather that is in use and which is reportedly dissolved in water and later poured at the base of the trees in efforts to fight the pest… …
After listening to the expert, i checked the underside of the leaves of the avocado tree in my neighborhood and was dismayed to see the intensity of the invasion.
In my little knowledge, I had earlier started celebrating when I saw new leaves sprouting. I thought that the infrequent rains and natural processes had eventually cornered the problem – – that time i had not even known that the problem is caused by the pest, the Persian Mite 
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.I’ll now knowledgeably pursue the threat to hopefully find a solution and save the giant Hass tree in my neighborhood.
Someone can or could possibly imagine the near impossibility and even pain of spraying every underside of the hundreds of leaves in the huge trees strewn all over Kenya to save the crop… … 
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……Then i have wondered why the mite should make an appearance in the country as recently as in 2023 when our country has just recently gained recognition as one of Africa’s greatest and biggest avocados producer….
… Is someone apart from satan and his agents out to wreck havoc in our thriving avocados sector?
Or does nature probably more often than not connive to produces pests that end up destroying crops and other plants /vegetation meant to be beneficial to mankind and the sustenance of proper, healthy Biodiversity?
Is it possible that the mite has been intentionally created somewhere in a laboratory?
I may not get answers to these questions, but evidently such issues must keep troubling our minds if we really care about our environment and our mother earth
Over-stretching the blasphemy concept /idea?:
“Don’t call me good.. No man in this world is good. Only our Father in heaven is good.” I’ve dared to paraphrase something that Jesus Christ said in His Holy word.
And contemplating about our sinful nature and God’s desire and ability to forgive us every time we sin against Him and fellow men (& later repent often inspired by His Spirit) , His real love amazes me.
And it is rather surprising how we humans in our mortal selves sin and err so easily, almost effortlessly.
It is rather sad how, for instance, we swear every other minute by God’s name when He has clearly instructed us not to swear by His name or by heaven and earth or by anything else for that matter.
In my Gigikuyu mother tongue, we have a saying – – “itheru ni mehia” (paraphrased as jokes are akin to sin or joking is erring). So as humans, we joke a lot mentioning God almighty’s name in vain and even swear by the same Holy name without even blinking.
We also accuse God almighty of so many crimes and sins.
For instance, earlier today in a popular radio show, a fan called and among the other things that he said was that he loves the presenter very much not just for her presentation prowess but also great physical beauty.
“I think God almighty created you very early in the morning before He got tired,” the caller – fan said to buttress his beholding beauty earlier statement.
This statement made me think, “does our almighty God ever get tired really?”
Even in our churches, we nowadays claim that God almighty feeds on praise & worship; but really does our God almighty feed leave alone getting hungry?
Back to the caller -fan–“most of us who aren’t so good looking (i guess he meant either beautiful or handsome) were created in the evening when God (almighty) was tired and especially the dark /black one because the sunlight was almost finished for the day, ” he further claimed.
In reflection, i really wondered whether God almighty ever gets tired, the time of day notwithstanding.
The statement also implied that God almighty cannot see clearly in the dark yet He is the one who created everything including darkness and He daily keeps watch over us even in the darkest nights and places.
Does it also mean that dark coloured or black people are ugly or not good – looking?
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.As i reflected on the conversation, I thought… “isn’t it better to remain silent than just talk for talking only sake”.
But it also dawned on me why caution remains paramount as we daily interact with different mass & social media.
That we should be extra cautious not to believe anything we get on all manner of Media.
Media could build or destroy remains an everyday truth……
My thoughts expressed at the ever present risk of being judged ‘too serious in this life where chance is given only once’…. 