President William Ruto has declared that recent county-level bans on Muguka, a variety of Miraa, are null and void.
A State House dispatch clarified that Muguka is classified as a scheduled crop under the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023. The National Assembly and the Council of Governors have both approved these regulations.
“With Muguka recognized by national legislation, any conflicting laws or orders are null and void,” stated State House.
The regulations require the government to support various aspects of Muguka farming, including licensing, promotion, regulation, transportation, aggregation, selling, marketing, and export.
President Ruto and Embu leaders met on Monday to discuss the Muguka ban in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta counties, prompting the State House statement.
Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, Governor Cecily Mbarire, the deputy governor, the senator, the Woman Representative, and all County Assembly Members attended the meeting at State House Nairobi.
After the meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock was instructed to organize a consultative forum to address stakeholders’ concerns.
This forum will address issues and aid in implementing the Miraa/Muguka Regulations 2023.
Additionally, the Miraa/Muguka Standard Code of Practice will be enforced to regulate all activities related to the crop.
CS Linturi emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing the Muguka industry through improved farming, aggregation, grading, pricing, packaging, and value addition.
To support these initiatives, the government has allocated Kes.500 million for value addition in the fiscal year 2024/25.
