By Dorothy Musyoka
Following a meeting with leaders from Embu County on the recent ban on muguka, President William Ruto has ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to convene a meeting with stakeholders and address concerns raised on the sale and use of muguka.
Last week Mombasa, Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties banned the entry, transportation, sale and use of muguka as the leaders highlighted its use among school-going children.
“To address concerns of all parties and stakeholders, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is directed to convene a consultative forum to address concerns raised and agree on the implementation of the Miraa/Muguka Regulations 2023,” the President said in a dispatch from State House.
In a statement on the meeting between the president and Embu County leaders, agriculture cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi informed President Ruto that, “Muguka a variety of miraa, is a scheduled crop in accordance with crops act 2013 and miraa regulation 2023.’’
CS Linturi argued that the National Assembly and the Senate passed the two pieces of legislation with the concurrence of the Council of Governors.
In addition, agriculture CS noted that having been passed by Parliament, the regulations obligate the government to allocate funds for the farming, licensing, promotion, regulation, transportation, aggregation, selling, marketing and export of the crops.
Furthermore, the head of state pointed out that for value addition of the scheduled crop, the government will allocate Ksh. 500 million in the 2024/2025 financial year.
“The future of miraa/muguka is in scaling up farming, aggregation, grading, pricing, packaging and value addition of the crop. For this reason, the government has committed to allocate Kshs 500 million in the 2024/25 financial year for value addition of these scheduled crops,’’ the statement read in part.
Despite the transition, the President reiterated the government’s resolute stance in its battle against narcotics, contraband alcohol, and other unlawful substances.