Muguka ban has exposed hypocrites, say Coast lobby groups

The muguka debate in Mombasa is turning out to be a hot potato pitting religious leaders against each other, while potentially setting the stage for another round of bout between the government and the civil society.

While a section of Muslim leaders have come out in support of the ban, others are criticising fellow sheikhs for a supposed bias against muguka while being silent on other hard drugs affecting Coast youth.

On Friday, two human rights lobby groups-Muslims for Human Rights and Human Rights Agenda-threatened to defy the court order suspending the ban imposed by Mombasa, Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties on the sale and use of the stimulant.

Huria’s Yusuf Lule lauded Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir for triggering the muguka conversation, saying the proposed Bill in the Senate that seeks to have miraa declassified as a drug is hypocritical.

Senate Deputy Speaker and Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi has sponsored the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Amendment Bill, 2023.

He said despite miraa being one of the crops listed in the Crops Act of 2013, Nacada and other agencies have continued to classify it as a drug.

On Friday, Lule said, “We see a conflict of interest and we want to mobilise and rally our communities and politicians within the Coast region to come out and ensure they speak directly to this particular Bill.”

He said the removal of the core ingredients of miraa and muguka, cathine and cathinone, from the list of intoxicants would be a big blow to the fight against drug abuse in Coast and Kenya.

Lule said the Embu court lifting the ban on muguka in Coast is a conflict of interest because most of Embu leaders have been campaigning for the lifting of the ban as the crop is grown in the area.

He urged Coast politicians to come out more forcefully and speak on the matter.

Muhuri executive director Walid Kassim and director Khelef Khalifa said what alcoholism is to Mt Kenya region is what muguka is to the Coast.

“We call upon our leaders to stand firm and ensure the health, social and economic effects of muguka to the Coast community does not destroy the youth any further,” Kassim said.

He said it is sad political leaders have gone back to party lines to support stances that are detrimental to the youth.

Khalifa said the high price of miraa is deterrent to most youth but muguka is cheap and readily available, affecting even primary school pupils.

“Science has proven that miraa and muguka are drugs. That is why it is banned in most of Europe and even neighbouring Uganda,” he said at Muhuri Legal Aid clinic.

He said the argument of Meru and Embu residents that they have lived with and used muguka for many years and nothing has happened to them, is foolhardy.

“There are people who have been using bhang and cocaine and nothing has happened to them. Should these also be made legal because of that?” he posed.

He said the Coast has for ages been treated as a colony and time has come to stop that.

“This is a drug and our kids have been affected. All these gangs are because of such things like muguka. When they chew it, they lose their heads," Khalifa said.

“Abdulswamad, close all borders. Do not let muguka come to Mombasa, court order or not. Because we are the affected people, we can defy the court order. Our interest and the health of our kids is more important than the court order.”

The activists said President William Ruto’s move to give Meru and Embu farmers Sh500 million for value addition of the miraa and muguka is "hypocritical and unfair".

“As the father of the nation, he shouldn’t have done that. The best thing would have been to call both parties to the table, not one party,” Lule said.

He said the problem of the country is fronting economic issues more than health and morality issues.

Nominated Senator Miraj Abdillahi said the ban on muguka is biased.

She said the ban should also be extended to miraa and other stuff that intoxicate coastal youth.

“If we are to ban muguka, we should not leave out miraa. Why are we being unfair and biased against one party and leaving out the other?” she posed.

This was interpreted by a section of Muslim clerics as supporting the lifting of the ban on muguka against the wishes of Coast residents.

Sheikh Abu Hamza criticised Senator Abdullahi, saying her opposition the ban is akin to supporting the chewing of miraa, a matter that Abdillahi denied.

Other Muslim clerics, led by Sheikh Yusuf Suleiman, defended the senator, saying she voiced her genuine opinion, which should not be criticised publicly by religious leaders.

Sheikh Suleiman said as a religious leader, Sheikh Hamza should have called Senator Abdillahi and rebuked her privately and not as publicly as he did.