A senator has moved to amend the law to ban the sale, supply and consumption of miraa and muguka in the country.
Nominated senator Miraj Abdillahi wants to amend the Crops Act 2013 to outlaw the two cash crops.
Miraa and muguka are currently classified as scheduled crops
Miraa and mugukaa are currently classified as scheduled crops, under crops with no breeding programme
To successfully schedule a crop, a grower has to decide the week of the year that a crop will be marketed, and then work backwards to determine the date of seed sowing or planting (depending on the crop).
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Miraj decried the impact of the stimulants on the youthful population.
The stimulant, she noted, is easily accessible to school-going children hence the need for strict regulations.
“I will be moving an amendment to have miraa banned alongside muguka,” Miraj said.
The lawmaker also faulted Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir for acting outside the law when he issued an Executive Order banning the stimulants from entering the county.
She noted that the governor’s action was a breach of the law as both miraa and muguka are still classified as scheduled crops.
“That was a clear breach of the law, as it stands now they are scheduled crops,” she said.
“Even if you proceed and arrest those ferrying muguka, what will you charge them with? Under what law?”
Nassir had last week issued an Executive Order banning the sale of muguka in the county.
"We have tried to come up with regulations so that users and the larger community can co-exist but they have refused and for this reason, I have consulted legally and found my decree to be in order," Nassir said.
"I have signed an executive order to ban the entry of muguka into Mombasa and to ban the sale and consumption of mugoka into Mombasa."
Nassir further directed all outlets, retail or wholesale selling or distributing the products, to be closed immediately.
“The county departments are directed to enforce this order without exception,” he said, adding that he had reached the decision in consultation with the National Authority for the Campaign for Drug Abuse (Nacada).
On Monday, President William Ruto ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to convene a meeting with stakeholders and address concerns raised on the sale and use of muguka.
The resolution was made when the President met with the leadership of Embu county led by Governor Cecil Mbarire, her deputy, senator, woman representative and members of national and county assembly from the county.
During the meeting, Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi informed the President that muguka is a scheduled crop under the Crops Act, 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2013.
He said the two pieces of legislation were passed by the National Assembly and the Senate with the concurrence of the Council of Governors.
