Why I'm against Muguka – Governor Nassir

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir has revealed why he has declared a fight against the sale, supply and consumption of muguka, across the county.

Speaking during an interview with Spice FM on Monday morning, Nassir said khat is too easily available in the area and is owed to cases of mental health problems.

Regarding heroin, he said that even though it is been abused in his domain, the power to tackle it lies with the national government and not the county government.

If the role was constitutionally mandated to him, the Governor said, he would tackle the issue. 

"I have no power to get into the containers that come in from the port. I have no power to search people who are getting into our aircrafts into Kenya. I have no powers to put people at international border posts because heroin is not grown locally," he said.

Nassir asked the national government to fight drugs, especially heroin with the same zeal and enthusiasm he is fighting khat with.

He stated that banning muguka is not the end of bringing sanity and order to the county.

"Mark my words. I'm gonna be touching on other peoples' business. Next thing that I'm going to do,  I'll pick those people up, they have two choices; jail or rehab," he said.

Nassir made the decree on muguka at Port Reitz Hospital, Mombasa, highlighting the pervasive consumption of the stimulant drug at the Coast, including among school-going children.

He claimed muguka traders have ignored laws put in place to safeguard children from the drug's influence, with some even going as far as selling the drug to minors.

Mombasa Women Empowerment Rehabilitation Center founder Amina Abdallah said statistics show that at least 80 per cent of mental health problems found in the streets of Mombasa are due to over-consumption of muguka.

"Use of muguka has broken so many marriages. We have received so many complaints from couples during our counselling sessions. They tell us that either the wife or husband uses muguka a lot, which affects their marriage, and they end up in depression," Abdallah said.