Rising demand for edible grasshoppers in Kampala with a 25kg sack selling at Ksh.7k

On November 16, while addressing Ugandans in his lengthy X homilies, President Museveni noted that, despite the fact that it was already November, he was not seeing the flurry of activities associated with grasshoppers.

"This is Musenene (the month of the grasshoppers). Where are they? Climate change? I don't eat the Nsenene. October is Kashwa the month of the enswa. Did they appear?" he asked.

Edible grasshoppers, or Nsenene as they are known in Uganda, seem to have failed to appear during their normal season and everyone, including the President, was concerned.

Now, according to the Daily Monitor, Uganda's largest independent newspaper, hoards of passenger service vehicles (or matatus, in the Kenyan sense) have been photographed leaving various remote towns enroute to Kampala while stocked with tens of sacks of Nsenene (grasshoppers).

While sharing the news on X (formerly Twitter), the Daily Monitor said that passenger service vehicles and other saloon cars laden with sacks of grasshoppers (Nsenene) have been spotted speeding towards Uganda's capital, Kampala, as demand for edible grasshoppers continues to rise.

According to one of the drivers who spoke to the newspaper, a 25kg sack of Nsenene is now going for UGX180, 000 (Ksh. 7,200 ).

Last week, the Uganda Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has cautioned traders involved in the sale of Nsenene (edible grasshoppers) to adhere to established national standards for edible insects, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding consumer health.

According to the standard, the maximum permissible aflatoxin content in edible insects should not exceed five to 10 micrograms per kilogram, depending on the specific toxic substance.

UNBS also reiterated concerns regarding potential health risks associated with the consumption of improperly handled insects, especially when the prescribed standards are neglected.