Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir has issued Executive Order No. 1 of 2024, banning the trade and consumption of the stimulant plant muguka within the county due to its “widespread damage” on the area’s youth.
The order, which takes immediate effect, outlaws the “sale and consumption of muguka in Mombasa,” Nassir declared in a public address, citing overwhelming evidence that the plant has wrought “widespread damage especially on our younger generation.”
Muguka, a type of khat or miraa, contains high levels of the stimulants cathinone and cathine. According to the governor, the consumption of just 20 leaves can trigger “toxic imaginations” and impairment akin to drug intoxication.
“Imagine a child consuming this at school hours. Imagine a child being able to do this,” Nassir implored, underscoring the urgency behind his administration’s crackdown on the controversial plant product.
The move follows months of consultations and outreach efforts by county agencies, who found muguka use had become a pervasive issue among Mombasa’s youth. The governor revealed that students themselves had flagged the stimulant as a growing problem during dialogues with the Department of Education.
“We have tried to work out regulations to coexist [with muguka], but those dealing with it have refused,” Nassir said, justifying the escalation to an outright ban. “For that reason, I have consulted legally and found [the ban] to be in order.”
While civic and health groups like NACADA, Portreitz Hospital, MEWA, and the Mombasa Women Network welcomed the decisive action, muguka traders and advocates are expected to challenge the legality of the governor’s order.
In anticipation of backlash, Nassir affirmed: “This was a decision whose time has come. I’m hoping the public will appreciate [it].”
