Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has actively joined the ongoing debate over the ban of Muguka.
Duale who spoke during the commissioning of Waqf Towers Business Centre in Eastleigh area of Nairobi said the government should not apply double standards in the fight against drugs and substance abuse.
He asked Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to lead the fight against the sale and consumption of the muguka just as much as he is fighting alcohol abuse in the central region.
“We cannot be very selective, if we are fighting alcohol, we must fight muguka. If we are fighting alcohol in central Kenya in Rift Valley in Western Kenya in every part of our country. Kenya is one so we must fight muguka,” Duale said.
“Now that there is the emerging story of muguka, I will ask the Rigathi Gachagua in the next two weeks to call that conference and we candidly discuss the effect and we show evidence the effect to certain regions and certain communities,” he added.
Also, leaders from Northeastern Counties including Wajir Garissa and Mandera have hinted at joining coastal counties in imposing the ban on muguka.
Also Read: Muguka Ban: Blow to Farmers as UDA MP Starts Process of Reclassifying Miraa
Northeastern Leaders Supports Duale Over Muguka Ban
Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif said the focus should be on how to fight the stimulant starting from the National Assembly all the way to the county assembly adding that muguka has really destroyed his community.
“Every time we complain that our youth are unemployed, that there are no businesses, and our economy is bad, yet we export millions of shillings to muguka and Miraa producing counties,” he said.
Nominated MP Sulekha Harun, adding on the sentiments said that those interested in selling stimulants should sell them in their own counties, either as juice or food, because the Northeastern Counties do not need muguka or Miraa.
Ban on Muguka Intensifies
After Mombasa, Kilifi and Taita Taveta governors announced the ban in their counties, the neighboring coastal county of Kwale introduced new levies on the product.
If passed, the businessmen will cough up Ksh50,000 for single business licenses and permits, up from the current Ksh10,000, while the cost of offloading one pickup of the stimulant, which originally cost Ksh10,000, will now be Ksh80,000.
Also Read: Ruto Breaks Silence on Muguka, Issues Directive
Earlier, Kilifi North Member of Parliament (MP) Owen Baya filed a notice to the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula seeking to reclassify the stimulants.
Baya, according to his notice, is seeking to delete a clause in the Crops Act 2022 which had classified miraa (Khat) as a scheduled crop with no breeding program.
In his notice, MP Baya- who is also the Deputy Majority Leader in the National Assembly, argued that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2022 classifies muguka and miraa as psychotropic substances.
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