In a statement shared on his X handle on Thursday, Mandera Senator Ali Roba called upon leaders from the Northern region to unite with their Coastal counterparts in combatting the spread of muguka.
Roba emphasized that the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) categorizes muguka as a drug, highlighting the importance of collective action to address this issue.
“Miraa/Muguka is destroying lives, turning the youth into zombies, and perpetuating poverty in Northern Kenya,” Roba said.
“Governors, senators, and national assembly members from Northern Kenya must stand firm against this drug,” Roba added.
Roba criticized the government’s decision to financially support muguka farming, highlighting its adverse effects on consumers. He expressed dismay that the same government combating illicit alcohol in the Central region is endorsing muguka cultivation and consumption.
Roba emphasized that the majority of muguka consumers reside in the Northern and Coastal regions. He pointed out that muguka was banned by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1980 due to its classification as a hazardous substance containing cathine and cathinone, both considered drugs in the Western world.
“It is disheartening that the state supports its farmers and funds its growth, ignoring consumers’ suffering,” the senator said.
“The President meeting with those profiting from this harmful drug instead of those harmed by it is wrong.”
Roba highlighted that a Senate bill aims to amend the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act to exclude substances like miraa and muguka, essentially legalizing them.
This move follows bans imposed by Kilifi and Mombasa counties on the stimulant plant. Despite this, the President asserted on Monday that muguka is a legally recognized crop according to national legislation, rendering any order prohibiting its use invalid.
The court has temporarily suspended the ban until July 8, pending an inter partes hearing.
