Political divisions have emerged among coastal leaders ahead of their meeting with President William Ruto tomorrow (Monday) to discuss their position on banning muguka activities, which generate Sh22 billion annually.
This is after a section of leaders criticized those who voted for the Finance Bill 2024 and branded them as traitors.
Last week, the Head of State invited the coastal governors led by Mr Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi), Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Dhadho Godhana (Tana River), Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Issa Timmamy (Lamu) and Andrew Mwadime (Taita Taveta) to State House Nairobi to discuss the Muguka standoff.
However, they declined the invitation until they discussed the issue with other stakeholders, including religious leaders, health experts, lawyers, opinion leaders, politicians and human rights activists.
On Friday, leaders, including governors, finally agreed to meet President Ruto to address the muguka ban.
They urged the head of state to include senators, parliamentarians, human rights activists, religious leaders and health experts in Monday’s meeting.
Led by the Chairman of the Coastal Economic Bloc, Mr Mung’aro, the leadership solemnly agreed to meet with President Ruto to address the muguka ban.
They want President Ruto to promise to help rehabilitate hundreds of coastal youth addicted to the stimulant, to see Muguka removed from the Crops Act and to support the introduction of a new bill in the Senate and National Assembly that would will prohibit.
“We discussed and agreed to meet the head of state. We will select specific leaders from all provinces to speak to the President. Each province gets the representation we want, with diverse views from religious leaders and experts. Let us leave the Finance Bill aside and focus on the Muguka agenda,” Mr Mung’aro pleaded.
Speaking at the stakeholders meeting at the Kenya Government School in Mombasa, Mr Mung’aro said it is time for coastal leaders to speak with one voice.
“We want unity, from today we will support each other. We will fight as one man for our resources. We want to change the way we do politics,” said Mr Mung’aro.
His counterpart Taita Taveta urged coastal leaders to be united and fight for the region.
“Let me give an example: when I started fighting for revenue from our national parks in Tsavo, leaders from Samburu, Narok and Kajiado went to visit the president and were listened to. This is because of their unity. Let us speak with one voice and emulate,” Mr Mwadime said.
He urged leaders to choose experts and politicians from the regions to ensure equal representation at the meeting with President Ruto.
