President William Ruto has declared that county-level bans on Muguka, a variety of the Miraa plant, are invalid, emphasizing that national legislation takes precedence over local laws. This announcement followed a high-level meeting with Embu County leaders and relevant government officials.
In response to recent county bans on Muguka, President Ruto met with Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire and her team, including the deputy governor, senator, women representative, Members of National Assembly, and all Members of the County Assembly. Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi also attended, highlighting the crop’s legal status under national law.
“Muguka, a variety of Miraa, is a scheduled crop in accordance with the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023,” a statement from State House read in part. “With Muguka having been recognized by national legislation, any other laws or orders that contradict national legislation are null and void.”
The Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023, ratified by both the National Assembly and the Senate with the Council of Governors’ concurrence, require the government to support the farming, licensing, promotion, regulation, transportation, aggregation, selling, marketing, and export of the crop. These regulations establish the Miraa/Muguka Pricing Committee, with the Council of Governors already nominating three members to this body.
Further regulatory measures include a Standard Code of Practice for Miraa/Muguka, ensuring consistent standards in the crop’s farming and commercial activities.
To address ongoing concerns from various stakeholders, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has been instructed to convene a consultative forum. This forum will focus on the implementation of the Miraa/Muguka Regulations 2023 and resolving any issues raised by parties involved.
President Ruto underscored the government’s commitment to enhancing the Miraa/Muguka sector, announcing a KES 500 million allocation in the 2024/25 Financial Year for the value addition of these crops. “The future of Miraa/Muguka is in scaling up farming, aggregation, grading, pricing, packaging, and value addition,” he asserted.
The government also reiterated its dedication to combating drugs, illicit brews, and other illegal substances, ensuring that the regulation and promotion of Muguka align with national anti-drug efforts.
