Muguka farmers have criticised an East Africa Legislative Assembly MP for claiming the stimulant had effects similar to those of bhang.

Legislator Mpuri Aburi, while addressing a public forum in Meru County last week, said muguka was similar to bhang and hence Embu region, which grows it, should not allocated it a share of the miraa kitty.

The growers, under Mbeerembu Miraa Farmers Association, demanded an apology from Mr Aburi and threatened to take unspecified action if he did not. Association chairman Jervasius Nyombyekothe, who addressed hundreds of farmers at Muraru market, termed the MP’s remarks as reckless. 

Mr Nyombyekothe, who was accompanied by Mbeere South MP Geoffrey King’ang’i, said the association’s members might block vehicles transporting miraa from Meru, where Aburi comes from, if he did not retract his statement.

“We are angered by Aburi’s remarks and if they continue fighting muguka, then we will not allow their miraa pickups to pass through Embu,” he said.

Nyombyekothe is a member of the national technical team implementing the report of a task force appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to look into ways of developing miraa and muguka farming.

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The 14-member team was formed after an export ban in European markets that left farmers with excess stock.

Yesterday, Nyombyekothe said the Sh1 billion kitty the President allocated to miraa and muguka farmers in Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties and the classification of muguka as a cash crop was enough prove that the crop was not harmful.

Mr King’ang’i said claims that muguka affects users the same way bhang did would destroy its market and hurt farmers if they were not withdrawn.

This would make things worse for farmers since Mombasa and Kilifi counties were fighting muguka, said the MP.

“Our business is legal. It provides income for thousands of families who are now able to educate their children from the proceeds. The crop is also contributing to this region economically. We will make every effort to protect our business and for that reason, Aburi must apologise,” King’ang’i said.

He said the fall of the price of muguka from Sh800 to Sh250 per kilogramme could have been caused by Aburi’s statement.