Coastal leaders have welcomed talks with their Embu counterparts in regards to the ongoing controversy on the ban of muguka in three coastal counties.
Led by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, the leaders said they were ready to have a sitting with President William Ruto and the Embu County representatives to deliberate on the controversy surrounding the sale and consumption of muguka, an addictive stimulant in Mombasa, Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties.
Speaking to the media in Mombasa, Nassir said that he was disappointed with the intimidation and threats the leaders were getting from their counterparts’ following their refusal to have muguka consumed in their areas.
Nassir said that the leaders were acting in capacity of the people who have expressed concerns on the rising criminal cases, especially by young people.
He noted that more than half of the people recovering in rehabilitation centres in the county were muguka consumers.
“We have uplifted the ban in respect to the court order but I would like to ask the government to also put the same energy that is used to fight us in fighting hard drugs in our region,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Likoni Member of Parliament Mishi Mboko who requested the president to consider the effects caused by the drug especially on school going children.
Mboko said parents are saddened by the increasing number of mental health issues among their children which she attributed to the consumption of muguka.
The ban has gained support from religious organizations, with Muslim leaders in Mombasa calling for muguka to be categorized as a restricted drug.
Sheikhs in the county have reiterated their resolve to support the ban on muguka in the County terming the move by the administration as long overdue.
Led by the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), National Organizing Secretary Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa said there should be considerations and key decisions on the same should be made from a research perspective.
“We should rely on findings and research of key agencies like NACADA and make sound decisions that will protect the health and wellbeing of all Kenyans,” said Khalifa.
President Ruto said the plant is legal under the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023.
Nevertheless, the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) has not banned muguka but classified it as a harmful substance based on the stimulant cathinone and cathine found in muguka.
By Chari Suche and Andrew Hinga
