Why miraa-rich Igembe zones attract politicians

Joseph Mutuuria hands William Ruto miraa at Igembe Boys as Mithika Linturi looks on, September 2014.  [File, Standard]

The miraa zones of Igembe are popular destination for presidential candidates, every political campaign season.

Presidential candidates accompanied by local leaders always pitch camp in vote-rich region with over 200,000 votes.

With miraa supporting about 500,000 people both in Igembe and all other subcounties in Meru, it is a significant vote basket that no presidential candidate worth his salt ignores.

In the build-up to the 2022 General Elections, President Ruto, Azimio leader Odinga turned the area into a major vote-hunting ground as they threw their weight behind the empowerment of farmers.

Similarly, it was also a major area of focus for former president Uhuru who made several visits to Igembe in his inroads in the region.

In run-up to the 2017 general elections, Former President Uhuru and Raila’s camps had pitched camp in Igembe region and pledged support for miraa.

Raila spent time in main growing areas of Laare, Mutuate, Maua, and other areas where he told the farmers he had the solution to their plight.

Jubilee Party unleashed the then-woman Representative Florence Kajuju, now Ombudsman to counter Raila’s foray in miraa regions.

Kajuju asked farmers not to be duped by Raila's promise to 'rescue' them.

Former Igembe North MP Maore Maoka had warned: “President Uhuru’’s votes will be lost if miraa issue is not addressed. He stands to lose out on the 200, 000 votes the region possesses.”

Soon after, President Uhuru signed into law the Crop Act that recognized miraa as cash crop, and subsequently budget for its development was allocated.

Both President Ruto and Odinga pledged support for miraa, and they recognized it as a major source of livelihood for the people.

Despite the fact that President Ruto has fulfilled some of his pledges, including the appointment of former Igembe Central MP Kubai Kilingo as ambassador to Somalia, as part of the process to enhance its marketing, the miraa-dependent community is not out of the woods yet.

“It seems only when Raila intervenes that things get moving in this country. So as miraa farmers, we want him to make miraa topic of national conversation,” said Kelvin Mungania, Mbaranga, Tigania East miraa farmer.

Farmers who spoke to The Standard now say although there had been some progress but main concern of lack of markets was yet to be resolved, with crop facing bans in counties and lucrative foreign markets.

President Ruto this week directed Agriculture CS Mithika to convene a meeting of miraa and muguka stakeholders to discuss its woes and come with remedial interventions.

“Former president Uhuru anchored miraa in law and allocated Sh1 billion for miraa sub-sector development. President Ruto has also pledged Sh500m for it and also appointed Kilingo as ambassador. But this is a drop in ocean. What we desperately need is for Ruto to use his growing international clout and win us European markets,” said Titus Mburugu, a farmer-cum trader.