Senate Deputy Speaker decries Somalia decision to suspend flights delivering Miraa

 

Miraa on sale at Kongowea market in Mombasa County.[File,Standard]

Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi has sought a statement over the persistent challenges facing the miraa export to Somalia.

This comes after the ongoing crisis in the Somalia market and the broader implications for miraa farmers and Kenya's agricultural sector.

Murungi who was speaking in the Senate plenary last week before it proceeded on recess said that he had requested a statement from the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism regarding the myriad of issues facing the Miraa sector in April this year.

He said that while he is aware that the Cabinet Secretary for Trade has submitted a preliminary report on the statement pending his appearance before the committee, the sector continues to grapple with the poor prices, cartel-like tendencies leading to the extortion of farmers as well as adverse effects of the ban of flights delivering miraa from Kenya by the Somali Government.

“This is an issue that continues to threaten the revenues of thousands of miraa farmers, many of whom rely on this crop as a primary source of income, the drastic price reduction is the latest symptom of a sector plagued by mismanagement, inadequate support and the unchecked influence of cartels who continue to profit from the exploitation of farmers,” said Murungi.

The Deputy Speaker said that the Government of Somalia's decision to suspend flights delivering miraa to the Horn of Africa country has had a severe impact on the market for this key export crop as a result the economic future of these farmers are in jeopardy with many unable to meet basic needs due to the collapse of miraa prices.

 Murungi said there was need for a comprehensive report detailing the causes of the recurring Kenya-Somalia diplomatic tensions, which have contributed to this suspension with the report including the steps being taken to resolve these tensions in the long term to ensure that Kenyan farmers are not disproportionately affected by these diplomatic disputes.

“We must address this issue, not just in the short term, but through a sustainable solution that will guarantee access to Somalia's market, which remains one of the largest for Kenya miraa, the cartels operating in the miraa sector have long been a source of frustration for farmers and traders alike,” said Murungi.

He said that the government must provide a clear statement on whether the State Department for Trade has undertaken any significant actions to dismantle these cartels with this including an assessment of the impact of these cartels on farmers' incomes and the broader miraa value chain.

The Senate Deputy Speaker said that the Government must clarify whether it is considering a firm response, including the possibility of closing the Kenya-Somalia border to push back against Somalia's decisions since this is is a critical matter, not just for the miraa sector but for bilateral relations between our two countries.

“We need to understand the transparency of the monthly levies charged at the airport for miraa exports, who exactly is benefiting from these levies and how are they contributing to the overall development of the miraa sector, furthermore, what diplomatic steps are being taken to prevent the escalation of tensions and secure long-term access to the Somali market?” said Murungi.

He pointed out negotiations with Somalia to increase miraa market quotas have been ongoing for years with very little progress to show for these efforts asking the Government to provide an update on the status of these negotiations, including progress made in reopening closed miraa markets and specific steps being taken to diversify export markets beyond Somalia.

 Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said that Kenya has had very good and stable relations with Somalia, primarily dominated by the fact that we have been of good assistance to them at the time when their country had turbulence pointing out that there are many Kenyans who trace their roots originally back to this country.

“We have all integrated and become one people and continue to live together as good neighbours, i do not understand and perhaps we need the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help us appreciate why Kenya cannot have a bilateral conversation with Somalia and agree on how to best handle this miraa business,” said Cheruiyot.

The Kericho Senator said that the late President Daniel arap Moi, President Mwai Kibaki and President Uhuru Kenya had to occasionally deal with interruption of miraa business and the trade between us and Somalia without it being resolved with finality during their tenure.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherarkey challenged the Government of Somalia to allow miraa from Kenya to access their market requesting President William Ruto who was elected the Chairman of the East African Community to look into this issue.

“We should not be discussing about banning miraa because Somalia is the new child of the East African Community, If we want to establish trade protocols within the EAC and ensure balance of trade and payment within the new nations One of the agenda is building EAC where we do proper trade engagements,” said Cherarkey.