Miraa, muguka battle moves to Parliament as MP proposes ban

Kilifi North MP Owen Baya has filed a notice with the Speaker of the National Assembly seeking to introduce a Bill to amend the Crops Act 2022 to repeal the Miraa regulations, 2023.

Baya, the Deputy Majority Leader, proposes a review of the first schedule of the Crops Act 2022 part 3 to delete miraa from the list of scheduled crops.

He also wants the Second Schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2022 to classify muguka and miraa as psychotropic substances.

“The difference between muguka and miraa is in the levels of cathine and cathinone which are higher in muguka, therefore, miraa should not be specified as a scheduled crop as it contains harmful substances,” said Baya in the notice.

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He said the well-being of the youth is under threat from drug and substance abuse.

“Muguka or miraa is one of the drugs highly abused by the youth and studies show that crime rates and anti-social behaviours are significantly higher after initiation of the substance use,” said Baya.

He said that studies show that the two stimulants could cause anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, manic behaviour, paranoia, lack of sleep, psychosis and many other health problems.

“By introducing the amendment, there will be more control on production and consumption of the substance,” said Baya.

Most leaders at the Coast and North Eastern have supported the ban on the sale and transportation of muguka by Mombasa and Kilifi counties. Other continues in the two regions have vowed to follow suit.

On May 22, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir issued an Executive Order prohibiting the entry, distribution, sale, and consumption of the muguka or its products within Mombasa.

The order decrees an indefinite prohibition and directs the county government’s inspectorate authority to enforce the stringent prohibitions. Several tons of muguka have been destroyed in Mombasa. Later, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro also banned muguka citing health effects.

But President William Ruto overruled the two, saying the stimulants are classified as cash crops.

In Kwale, Governor Fatuma Achani has said she will not prohibit the sale and consumption of muguka, breaking ranks with her peers at the Coast.

Achani said her administration will raise the cess on muguka from Sh10,000 to Sh100,000 through Finance Bill 2024/2025.

Yesterday, enforcement officers from Mombasa and Kilifi counties manned the entries of the two counties and confiscated muguka despite the President’s decree.

 On Thursday, chaos erupted in Kilifi town after two muguka sellers armed with pangas and a knives attacked county askaris collecting cess outside the gate of Pwani University.