Muslim clerics and political leaders have called on the government to consider the welfare of future generations and categorise muguka as a substance with significant health and social risks.
Speaking on Tuesday at Nairobi's Jamia mosque, Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi said muguka has considerable negative outcomes such as psychological effects on users, depression, insomnia, low sperm count and marriage breakdowns.
“We support the legislative efforts to remove miraa from the Crops Act. According to Nacada, it remains a narcotic substance with adverse health issues which should not be accepted for consumption,” Mwinyi said.
“It is clearly evident that the government is more concerned with the economic benefits derived by farmers in the muguka producing areas while ignoring the adverse health and social effects suffered by consumers in other parts of the country,” Mwinyi added.
The legislator also urged the government to develop strategies to mitigate the socio–economic impact on regions dependent on such harmful substances.
“Instead of channeling public funds into sustaining this sector, the government should invest in alternative high value crops which could have economic benefits to the famers,” he said.
“We would like the government to take the same zeal it has undertaken in Central region to fight alcohol menace on the same energy on the war on muguka,” the MP added.
The leaders further expressed their support on the action taken by the county government of Mombasa, Kilif, Taita Taveta, Lamu and Kwale to ban and restrict the consumption of the addictive stimulant so as to protect the health and social welfare of their people.
