Coast MPs on Monday put aside their party differences and spoke in unison against muguka.
The anger was directed at Embu and Meru political leaders, who have been bashing their Coast counterparts over their stance on muguka.
Three coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale have imposed a ban on the sale and use of muguka in their jurisdictions.
This could potentially affect the Sh22 billion industry in Embu county where muguka is predominantly grown.
Coast Parliamentary Group chairman and Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako yesterday said they are no lesser leaders than their counterparts in Meru and Embu and cannot be intimidated by anyone.
“They were elected just as we were elected. The effects of the muguka on our people are important to us and we have to protect them," Mwashako said.
“We will do everything possible to join hands with our governors to reject muguka.”
They said the vigour with which Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is fighting alcoholism in Mt Kenya should also be seen against muguka.
The leaders said the suspension of the muguka ban by the Embu court is "inconsequential".
“If they want, let them eat muguka in their jurisdiction. We know and all evidence suggests that muguka is poisonous. We cannot allow our people to eat poison because of a court. We have seen the negative effects of muguka on our people,” Mwashako said.
EALA MP and UDA vice chairman Hassan Omar said time has come for the Coast leaders to stand firm with their own people for the sake of their health, social wellbeing and political strength.
“We cannot allow the economic interests of other counties to override the health and social interests of our own people,” he said.
“We are confident that our unity at the Coast will make us strong and this is what I have been championing. We are happy that our unity has showed strength and inspired our counterparts from Northeastern to stand firm with us."
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya said it is inexplicable that Embu leaders filed a case in an Embu court for something that has happened in Mombasa.
“We have, first, to canvas the issue of jurisdiction. Did that court have jurisdiction over something that happened in Mombasa?” he posed.
The MPs have directed their legal team to fight the Embu court order over jurisdiction.
“We cannot be discriminated. A decision by the President must look at the whole of Kenya. It cannot look at one region and overlook another region,” Baya said.
He said they want better services from the state.
“On this one, we feel slighted as the people of the Coast. My President can do better than that,” said Baya, a UDA member and President William Ruto’s point man in Kilifi county.
He said the fight will be taken to Parliament in conjunction with leaders from Northeastern, refusing any talks with Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi or President Ruto.
“They will not intimidate me for whatever reason. I am not afraid. Whatever they want to do with me, I will stand with the people of Kilifi and the people of the Coast,” Baya said.
Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council said the ban on muguka in the three coastal counties must be replicated in the remaining three counties.
Kemnac chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao said Kwale, Tana River and Lamu counties should follow suit and impose ban on muguka.
Kwale county has refused to ban muguka entirely, opting to impose taxes on the same.
Kwale has raised the taxes on muguka by up to 1,000 per cent, but Sheikh Juma Ngao said this is not enough.
“Impose a total ban. Do not act lukewarm. Be steadfast and say no to muguka. Increasing taxes means you want to benefit more from muguka as a county,” he said.
Speaking separately after a meeting of Kemnac council members at Palm Tree Hotel in Mombasa, Sheikh Ngao, who is eyeing the Kwale county ODM chairman position, said exorbitant taxes will not stop muguka from entering Kwale county.
“We have seen leaders from miraa and muguka counties flaunt their wealth on social media. They will still bring the herb because they are determined to finish our people. Let there be a total ban,” he said.
This comes as the Jumuiya Ya Kauti za Pwani also rejected talks with Agriculture CS Linturi as directed by President Ruto.
The talks between stakeholders and CS Linturi were scheduled for June 6, Thursday.
However, the six coastal governors in a joint release on Monday evening said they will not be attending the scheduled talks. They are Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Kilifi's Gideon Mung'aro, Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Dhadho Godhana (Tana River), Issa Timamy (Lamu) and Taita Taveta's Andrew Mwadime.
"We regret to inform you that the six-member county governments of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani Economic Bloc duly represented by the undersigned governors, jointly decline to attend the proposed forum scheduled for June 6, 2024," they said in a joint communiqué.
They said their unwavering resolve is premised on health concerns of their people.
"Muguka is not simply an agricultural issue; it is a matter of the health, wellbeing and indeed, the security of our people and needs to be treated with the seriousness it deserves," Nassir said.
In his meeting with Embu leaders on May 27, President Ruto dismissed the ban of muguka by the Coast counties, saying Muguka is a scheduled crop in accordance with the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023.
He said the Miraa Regulations 2023 were passed by the National Assembly and the Council of Governors.
“With muguka having been recognised by national legislation, any other laws or orders that contradict national legislation is null and void,” Ruto said in a dispatch from State House.
However, the coastal governors argued that Nacada classifies miraa as a psychotropic substance because of these active ingredients.