- Munya accused politicians from coastal counties of engaging in hate speech in their war against the two crops.
- “We are asking the government to ensure the law is followed. No one should be stopped from selling anything that is legal.”
Image: FILE
Some Meru leaders have asked coastal leaders to respect the rule of law and allow the sale of miraa and muguka in their respective counties.
Led by former Meru governor Peter Munya and former Meru Woman Representative Florence Kajuju, the leaders said no governor has powers to stop the sale of the two stimulant crops in their counties.
“Miraa is legal in the country. I was Agriculture Cabinet Secretary when miraa and muguka were made Scheduled Crops. Nobody therefore has powers to say two crops cannot be sold in their counties,” Munya stated.
Munya cited the sale of alcohol in bars, which he said is legal though it is well known that excessive consumption of liquor is harmful to health.
“People drink in bars and we know that alcohol can harm your health but the no one is stopped to do that business. People are just advised to drink in moderation. Nobody is forcing Kenyans to chew miraa,” he added.
He accused politicians from coastal counties of engaging in hate speech in their war against the two crops.
“We are asking the government to ensure the law is followed. No one should be stopped from selling anything that is legal,” he added.
Kajuju, who is the chairperson of the Commission on Administrative Justice, regretted that some of the people declaring war on miraa and muguka were in Parliament when the Motion to make the two scheduled crops was passed.
“It is so disappointing to hear the same voices saying miraa and muguka should be banned Governors are also making roadside declarations proclaiming miraa or muguka a banned crop,” she noted.
She asked MPs from areas where miraa and muguka are grown to fight “for our crops and ensure they do not amend the Crops Act.”
A senator has since moved to amend the law to ban the sale, supply and consumption of miraa and muguka in the country.
Nominated senator Miraj Abdillahi wants to amend the Crops Act 2013 to outlaw the two cash crops.
Miraa and muguka are currently classified as scheduled crops, under crops with no breeding programme
To successfully schedule a crop, a grower has to decide the week of the year that a crop will be marketed, and then work backwards to determine the date of seed sowing or planting (depending on the crop).
Miraj has decried the impact of stimulants on the youthful population.
She noted that the move to ban muguka and miraa by some governors was in breach of the law as both are still classified as scheduled crops.
“That was a clear breach of the law, as it stands now they are scheduled crops,” she said.