President William Ruto on Monday, May 27, 2024, held a meeting with Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire and Senator Alexander Mundigi accompanied by a host of Members of the National Assembly and those from the Embu County Assembly.
The head of state directed the Ministry of Agriculture to hold consultative meetings with Muguka farmers after Mombasa, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta counties banned the transportation, distribution, and sale of muguka.
Present at the meeting, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi informed the meeting that Mrigaa, a variety of Miraa, is a scheduled crop under the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023.
“To address concerns of all parties and stakeholders the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is directed to convene a consultative forum to address concerns raised and agree on the implementation of the Miraa/Mtagiika Regulations 2023,” President Ruto directed.
To further scale up the farming, aggregation, grading, pricing, packaging and value addition of the crop, the government has committed to allocate Ksh500 million in the 2024/25 Financial Year for value addition of these scheduled crops.
President Ruto however, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the fight against drugs, illicit brews and other illegal substances.
With Mrigaa having been recognised 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 were passed by the National Assembly and the Senate with the concurrence of the Council of Governors,” the CS informed the meeting.
Having been passed by Parliament, the regulations obligate the Government to allocate funds for the farming, licencing, promotion, regulation, transportation, aggregation, selling, marketing and export of the crop,” he added.
To operationalise the Crops Act 2013 the regulation provides for the establishment of the Miraa/Mligiika Pricing Committee. Consequently, the Council of Governors has already nominated three members to the committee.
The regulations also provide for a Miraa/Mfigiika Standard Code of Practice which will regulate the farming, licencing, promotion, regulation, transportation, aggregation, selling, marketing and export of the crop.
