The Member of Parliament (MP) of Kilifi North wants the government to ban muguka and miraa in Kenya and has already filed a notice with the Speaker of the National Assembly;
MP Owen Baya, who is from one of the coastal counties that included Mombasa and Taita Taveta, which recently sought to ban the addictive stimulants before the court halted the move, now wants the entire country to classify the drugs as dangerous controlled substances.
“The difference between muguka and miraa is in the levels of cathine and cathinone, which are higher in muguka. Therefore, miraa should not be specified as a scheduled crop as it contains harmful substances,” said Baya in the notice.
Through the bill, the MP seeks to amend the Crops Act 2022 and repeal the Miraa regulations, 2023, to remove muguka and miraa from the list of scheduled crops and make its possession a crime punishable with jail time and thousands of shillings in fines.
The drugs, popularly known as jaba in the streets, according to the MP, should also be classified as psychotropic substances in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2022 because of their mind-altering effects.
“Muguka or miraa is one of the drugs highly abused by the youth, and studies show that crime rates and anti-social behaviours are significantly higher after initiation of the substance use.
“By introducing the amendment, there will be more control on the production and consumption of the substance,” said Baya, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader in the National Assembly.
The conversation to ban muguka and miraa started in Mombasa on May 22 when Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir, through Executive Order No. 1 of 2024, directed their sale, distribution and use to stop within its territory and vehicles carrying the same from producer counties, which is mainly Embu and Meru, were not allowed to enter the county.
While issuing the now-suspended directive to ban the drugs, the Governor also complained about their widespread damage, especially to the younger generation in the coastal region, and said that keeping it out of the hands of kids is his top policy priority.
