Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called for the fight against the use of Muguka by classifying it as a drug.
Speaking in Eastleigh during the opening of a business centre on Sunday, CS Duale said the fight against drug and substance abuse calls for a collective, whole-of-society approach.
He called on Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to champion the fight against Muguka as he did against illicit alcohol and drugs.
“If we are fighting alcohol in Central Kenya, Rift Valley and every part of Kenya we must also fight Muguka,” Duale said.
“I will ask the Deputy President in the next two weeks to call [for] that conference because he is the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya and we candidly discuss the effects of Muguka on certain regions and communities.”
CS Duale insisted that Muguka is harmful and is destroying Kenyan youth.
“As we fight the production, distribution and consumption of illicit brew, with the same emphasis, we must combat other substances, Muguka included,” he tweeted.
“We believe muguka is a drug and is destroying a lot of young people. If we are fighting alcohol then we should fight muguka.” Duale added.
Duale’s stance comes days after State House declared that recent county-level bans on Muguka were 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.
