• Meru leaders have threatened to sue police and governors who burnt miraa.
• Say they will quantify losses and seek compensation.
Governors should not interfere with President Uhuru Kenyatta's order allowing miraa trade, MPs from Meru region have said.
MPs Kubai Kiringo (Igembe Central) Maoka Maore (Igembe North), Kathuri Murungi (Imenti South) John Paul Mwirigi (Igembe South) and Senator Mithika Linturi said the President had heard farmers' cries.
While giving new guidelines to contain the coronavirus on April 6, Uhuru said impounding, confiscation and burning of the crop should stop.
Mandera, Kilifi, Isiolo, Lamu, Makueni, Wajir, Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia, Tana River and Samburu counties have all banned miraa trade.
Uhuru banned travel into and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale, but said movement of food supplies and other cargo will continue.
“Any cargo-carrying vehicle or vessel shall be charged to a single driver and designated assistants; all of whom shall be designated as such in writing by the owner or operator of the said vehicle or vessel with reference to that vehicle or vessel,” Uhuru said.
“It has been 10 days of anger and fury seeing miraa going up in flames in the brutal hands of the police,” Maore said.
Linturi said impounding miraa vehicles was a crime because it is against the President’s directive.
The senator urged Meru leaders to unite and pressure any government agency, officer or governor banning or supervising arrests of miraa cargos in transit.
He said they are gathering evidence to sue all police officers, governors and county staff who torched miraa in some counties.
“We ask all those whose miraa was burnt and suffered losses to report to the police stations and get OB numbers,” Linturi said.
He said they will quantify the losses incurred and seek compensation.
Kiringo asked the government to release Sh1 billion miraa kitty it had set aside to revive the sub-sector.
“I appeal to farmers to adhere to Covid-19 directives while handling miraa,” Kiringo said.
He called on Uhuru and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya to speak to the Somali President Abdullahi Farmajo to lift miraa ban in his country.
Meru speaker Joseph Kaberia also thanked Uhuru for exempting miraa transportation from the curfew.
The High Court on Wednesday allowed miraa traders to challenge a decision by the 10 counties to ban the sale of the product.
Justice John Mativo also certified the case filed by Nyambene Miraa Traders Association chairman Kimathi Munjuri as urgent.
The judge said the petition raises an arguable case.
The counties said people often crowd at miraa dens and the ban was in line with state guidelines against gathering and crowding in places.
Munjuri said the ban has disenfranchised miraa fresh produce traders within those counties, saying it is their right to earn a living.
(edited by o. owino)