Hundreds of Maa women invaded a farm in Enkorika and uprooted ten acres of khat (Catha edulis), on claims their husbands were spending a lot of money on the plant.
The farm belonging to a local farmer Lucy Kennedy, who has lived on the land for more than 30 years, had ten acres of khat, avocados and oranges.
The group of women slashed all the plants in the 10-acre farm that the owner claimed were planted 5 years ago by her late husband.
The women who raided the farm claimed miraa had made their husbands docile and were never able to service them sexually.
Selina Parit claimed a teacher from Nalala School died recently because of indulging himself in chewing khat and drinking beer.
But Lucy dismissed the claims as lies, adding that the teacher died during a fight with members of his family.
“I have recorded this matter at the police station in Enkorika because I want action to be taken against the demonstrating women, who also closed down all the bars in Enkorika town in Kajiado Central,” said Lucy.
The farmer said she makes more than Sh20,000 weekly from the khat and her source of income has been curtailed.
She said her miraa is a dryland crop that had been allowed by the government as a cash crop in the Enkorika area of Kajiado Central sub-county.
“I have no husband, and I am relying on this farm to educate my children. The government should act fast and arrest those who did this to my crops,” she said.
She claimed that her crops of khat are not even sold in Enkorika but in Kajiado town and Isinya, and wondered why the demonstrators targeted her farm.
No police were around when the women also went to close more than 10 bars in Enkorika town.
The owners of the bars claimed they had valid licences from the government and wondered why the police could not protect them.
The women who took part in the demos said they would be monitoring the beer business in Enkorika, adding that anyone going against them would have their business premises brought down.
The police in Enkorika said they were not aware that there were demos by women and added that no one informed them about the closure of bars by the women.
