- They will be targeting young people as young as 12 years of age and older so that even if a person decides to use it, he or she will have knowledge about its effects.
- She called upon the government to cheap out and help them reach as many victims as possible.
Image: Aura Ruth
At least 80 per cent of mental health problems found in the streets of Mombasa are due to over-consumption of muguka, Mombasa Women Empowerment Rehabilitation Center founder Amina Abdallah has said.
“Use of muguka has broken so many marriages. We have received so many complaints from couples during our counseling sessions. They tell us that either the wife or husband uses muguka a lot, which affects their marriage, and they end up in depression,” she said.
A high percentage of users in the coastal region are men, but women now make 40 per cent, an increase from 10 per cent initially.
“This is like a pandemic, and we have to accept it; therefore, we are calling upon the government to join hands and help us fight the menace. There is nothing that will help Mombasa and the coastal region at large like going on the ground to talk to those users,” she said.
They have adult male patients "walking in diapers" at their facility, as use of muguka has interfered with their bodily functions.
The mental health champion, said they will roll out a program sensitising the public on the effects of muguka, in a bid to reduce its consumption.
This is in support of Governor Abdulswamad Nassir's cause, who declared war against muguka and miraa around learning institutions.
“Starting next week, we will be going in the community to educate youth and women to ensure that they understand the effects of this plant. With the help of chiefs and community elders, we will work together to ensure that people come out in large numbers to get this information on the effects of muguka,” she said.
The campaign will also target children as young as 12 years to empower them with knowledge about its effects.
Many times, parents contribute to the use of muguka among children. She called upon parents to protect their children by following up with their teachers and find out how they are doing at school.
Abdallah said they will work with the county to ensure addicts get free treatment, and called on the leadership to chip in and help them reach as many victims as possible.
She urged the governor not to back down.
“As Mombasa women, we will stand firm with the county government and partner with them to ensure we ban muguka in our region; therefore, I am calling upon all leaders to come out and support the initiative.”
Dr Janbibi Yusuf, a psychiatrist at Mombasa Women's Hospital who supported the ban, said chemically, muguka and miraa are both stimulants that affect not only the brain but also blood pressure.
She said the chemicals in muguka affect the stomach but also cause psychosis and confusion, which makes people "not understand themselves, meaning they can do anything".
Men with prolonged use of the substance may have a reduced sperm count which causes impotence and infertility, Yusuf said.