Counties

Embu farmers want muguka separated from miraa

muguka

Muguka traders in Embu County wait for customers. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NMG

A lobby now wants muguka, a khat variety grown in Embu, gazetted as a separate crop from miraa.

Nyambene Miraa Traders Association (Nyamita) chairperson Kimathi Munjuri, said muguka is a variety of khat that is distinct from miraa, which is largely grown in Meru.

In a proposal to Agriculture ministry, Mr Munjuri said there has been “a calculated push to categorise muguka as miraa”.

“The same grave commission was made by the miraa task force which recklessly used the name miraa to refer to all varieties of Catha edulis in Kenya when it is common knowledge that miraa is the variety farmed in Meru.” He stated.

Mr Munjuri argued that muguka has specific traits that are not found in miraa, adding that various other crop varieties under the same species are registered separately.

“Gazetting muguka separately will make it possible for the government to address issues specific to it. It will also ease the marketing of the two varieties locally and internationally and make formulation of policies easier,” he said.

Alternatively, the lobby wants the Crops Act amended to replace the word miraa with khat and list several varieties available in the country.

Mr Munjuri said the reference of muguka as miraa has affected resource allocation and market for miraa.

The tussle between miraa and muguka started in 2018 when the miraa task force included the Embu variety in its report and recommended that it gets a share of the miraa fund.

Elected leaders had vowed to oppose the sharing of Sh906 million allocated to the miraa sector terming it a “diversion” of the funds. Majority leader Victor Karithi said they would lobby the government to ensure the money is allocated to Meru farmers only.

“We would like to know at what point Embu and Tharaka-Nithi counties were included in the miraa kitty. We do not want our money to be taken elsewhere,” Mr Karithi said.