Muguka ban: Coast leaders reject meeting with CS Linturi, seek direct talks with Ruto

Coast region leaders have declared that will only engage with President William Ruto, rejecting the planned meeting with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi over the contentious muguka debate.

The meeting, initially scheduled for Thursday, has now been thrown into uncertainty.

Jomvu MP Badi Twalib expressed their lack of confidence in CS Linturi's neutrality on the muguka issue.

"Putting our governor with the Governor of Embu and CS Linturi is like giving a gazelle to a cheetah, it will be eaten. We have no faith in that meeting," he said.

“How are we going to strike a balance on this issue? That is what we call leadership. And that is what we are waiting for from you as the President of Kenya,” Likoni MP Mishi Mboko said.

“We must know how we are addressing the challenges facing us as a nation and as a county. One of the biggest challenges we face is drugs. I want to say that the drugs being tested have been identified as drugs that affect the mind, health, economy, and many other aspects. Issues of heroin, issues of cocaine, and also Muguka are all there.”

The leaders spoke on Saturday during the Madaraka Day celebrations in Mombasa.

Mishi noted that according to the NACADA report, muguka contains cathine and cathinone, which are very dangerous toxins.

Senator Mohamed Faki defended Governor Abdulswamad Nassir's muguka ban, citing the Constitution.

"According to our Constitution, the governor has the power to regulate harmful substances within the county. The ban on muguka is within his rights," he stated.

Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba emphasized the community's role in resisting drug infiltration.

"We must not allow drugs to enter our area by any means," Bedzimba declared.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir reiterated his commitment to the muguka ban during the Madaraka Day celebrations.

Mombasa Governor Nassir reiterates his tough stance against muguka and drug abuse, vows not to be cowed.

“We will not be enslaved to serve the interests of others as our own suffer. If this decision signals my political obituary then so be it; I would rather die on my feet than… pic.twitter.com/daB5gE7TCK

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) June 1, 2024

"We are fighting a product that is hurting us, nothing else," he affirmed.

The governor emphasised that his battle was against the drug itself, which he argued was ruining the lives of Mombasa's residents.

Addressing the criticism from some Mt. Kenya leaders who claimed the ban harmed farmers economically, Abdulswamad stressed that his actions were not targeting at any particular tribe or region but were solely for the benefit of his constituents.

"I have the support and prayers of the people of Mombasa. When I say the people of Mombasa, I do not mean a specific tribe or religion…everyone here is a person of Mombasa. Take tribalism elsewhere, not here," he declared.

Some of the Mombasa leaders during the Madaraka Day celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront, Mombasa County on June 1, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

He strongly condemned the propaganda and tribal politics being used against his anti-muguka campaign.

"We are fighting a product, not a tribe," he insisted. "We are fighting a product that is hurting us, nothing else…if you want to use propaganda and lawsuits, this time you will learn that you know nothing."

"We will do whatever it takes to stop the muguka trade here in Mombasa; we will not negotiate. We have been talking since we were MPs until now, why should I plead with you?"

He highlighted the economic disparity, pointing out that while Embu County reportedly earns Sh12 billion annually from muguka sales while Mombasa County spends Sh7 billion each year dealing with the drug's harmful effects.

"Mombasa spends more on muguka than on sukuma wiki and spinach, how?" he questioned, reaffirming his commitment to the ban. "No muguka will enter Mombasa County, final.”