Now that Mombasa County has issued an order prohibiting the sale, distribution, and use of the stimulant narcotic khat, also known as muguka, the Embu County administration has announced that it is taking the matter to court.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire said in a statement on Friday that she will take legal action to save the lives of her town, which she claimed earns over Ksh. 22 billion annually from the sale of muguka, only hours after the Kilifi County government imposed a similar ban.
As her government works to resolve the issue, she urged the muguka farmers to maintain their composure.
It is projected that the muguka value chain boosts Embu’s economy by around Ksh.22 billion annually.
According to Mbarire, Muguka farmers and other stakeholders who have made significant investments in the value chain would therefore lose out on income and way of life.
“The County Government of Embu and County Assembly of Embu have engaged their legal teams to move to court and seek guidance on the matter.
Please be composed while we look for ways to break this impasse, muguka farmers and other value chain participants.
“Because muguka and miraa are related plants that come from the same parent plant, khat,” the Embu County chief highlighted the legislation that protects miraa sales and distribution as a cash crop in the nation.
She went on to emphasise the substance’s connection to health issues, stating that muguka is legal in the nation because it is not seen as a narcotic.
“Muguka is a variant of Miraa in terms of flavour, product, and active ingredient—cathinone, nevertheless. The native term for the crop is Khat, which is also known as Miraa and Muguka.
“The planned crop is Catha edulis, which stands for all Miraa types, including Muguka, as well as any other crop that may be planted that also contains Catha edulis, the speaker said.
“No single legislation forbids the sale or consumption of Muguka, nor does any law distinguish it from Miraa, “Consequently, muguka is not a drug.
Mbarire criticised her Mombasa colleague Abdulswamad Nassir for instructing even though the two leaders convened to devise rules and resolve matters about the distribution and procurement of muguka.
“We created a joint working team to guarantee compliance with the product’s trade rules and deal with the problems presented by the Mombasa County Government,” she added after she met with the governor of Mombasa and members of the Mombasa County Assembly on May 15, 2024.
Governor Mbarire claims that since muguka is a major industry in the Mt. Kenya area and across the nation for different communities, outlawing it would have an impact on the incomes of a significant number of households as well as the nation as a whole.
“Muguka is a multi-ethnic enterprise that mostly employs Embu people as farmers, with Meru and Central people holding a dominant role as middlemen and transporters.
” The value chain’s major investors, including Muguka farmers, stand to lose out in terms of earnings and way of life as a result, ” she pointed out.
“The Mombasa economy receives around Ksh.1 million in revenue every day from transport taxes originating from the Muguka value chain.”