By Antynet Ford
North Eastern Muslim leaders have called on governors from the region to follow suit as Kilifi and Mombasa counties in the ban of Muguka.
Speaking while in Garissa, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) chairman Abdullahi Salat said Muguka has crippled development in the region and has eroded the moral fabric of the society.
He termed the move by the two coastal counties as a noble move and the county chiefs of North Eastern should adopt the same.
“Governors from Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo, Tana River, and Marsabit, should follow that example, and that drug should be banned in these counties because it has affected the health, education, and resources of our people.” He said.
“There is no day it has been profitable even to those selling them. Their children have also been affected, and they are even leaving school. They are not even comparable to vegetable vendors.” He added.
Salat lamented the rise of insecurity in the region which he linked to the ballooning sale of the substances largely among the youth.
He urged religious leaders and politicians from the region to support the move, noting that it will largely aid in shaping the communities residing in the region.
Last Week, Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir banned the entry, transportation, sale, and use of Mũgũka and its products, highlighting the pervasive consumption of the stimulant drug at the Coast, including among school-going children.
He said Mũgũka traders have ignored laws put in place to safeguard children from the drug’s influence, with some even going as far as selling the drug to minors.
In Kilifi, governor Gideon Mung’aro ordered an immediate ban on the entry, transportation, distribution, and sale of Mũgũka within the county.
Amid a heightening debate on the legality of banning the substances in question, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi intimated on Monday that County-level bans on Mũgũka are null and void.
Linturi explained that Mũgũka is a scheduled crop under the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023 which he said were approved by the Council of Governors after being passed by the National Assembly and Senate, respectively.
The regulations mandate that the government fund various aspects of Mũgũka farming, including licensing, promotion, regulation, transportation, aggregation, selling, marketing, and export.
Read also:- ‘Null and Void’ President Ruto terms Kilifi, Mombasa Muguka ban
