Association seeks disassociation of miraa with muguka – KBC

Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (NYAMITA) is seeking dissociation of miraa from Muguka mainly grown in Embu and some parts of Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kitui, and Makueni Counties.

The association through a letter to Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has requested that Muguka be gazetted as a separate crop, to ensure that the challenges facing miraa can be addressed separately.

He called upon the Agriculture CS to use his mandate to grant their request in order to salvage miraa crop that is on the verge of becoming useless.

The association Chairman Kimathi Munjuri argues that the classification of Muguka as miraa has affected and frustrated efforts to revive the dwindling miraa crop market since both herbs have distinct and different demands.

The chairman argued that a miraa task force constituted to look into challenges affecting the crop erred by referring Muguka as miraa.

“This issue was politically influenced and has came to affect miraa immensely as whatever funding allocated to miraa farmers to cushion them after losing major miraa markets was shared with Muguka people who were not affected in any way,” Munjuri said.

He said Muguka did not form part of the tonnes of miraa that used to be exported and its market has reduced after it was banned in the UK, Somalia among other markets that have so far been lost.