Don't give miraa or its proceeds to church, priest tells Catholics

If you are a Catholic in Nthagaiya Parish, Diocese of Embu, you should already be aware of this. Miraa and its proceeds should be kept as far away from the church as possible.

This is because Father Bernard Njeru discourages his flock from not only growing miraa, but also from giving money that comes from its sale as offering to the church.

Father Bernard Njeru, the priest in charge of Nthagaiya Parish. He discourages faithful from giving miraa proceeds to the church as offering. [photo: JOSEPH MUCHIRI/STANDARD]

Fr Njeru, who has worked as a priest for the last 20 years, argues that growing of miraa should be abolished since it makes men lazy as they chew it from daybreak to nightfall before washing it down with alcohol. The stimulant, he adds, also weakens teeth and renders men impotent.

"I ask the faithful if they would like their children to chew miraa and they shyly shake their heads. They know khat is harmful and would not want it to ruin the lives of their beloved children. Similarly, as father of the faithful in the parish, I must ensure they keep off miraa," he says.

Njeru is so opposed to khat that when he was posted to Nthagaiya in 2008, he shocked the congregation after he announced that he would not bless their lands if they grew miraa.

A few of the Christians heeded his call and went ahead to uproot the crop.

One of them was Francis Mugo from Kawanjara. He uprooted all his miraa plants and replaced them with bananas. Mr Mugo also bought dairy cows. Today, the renowned farmer doesn't regret obeying the priest's advice.

Many Christians, however, defied Njeru, who decided to change tack so as to retain them in church.

"I announced that I would still visit to bless their homes but I would not bless their miraa," the priest reveals.

But still, the friendly and welcoming priest does not bless miraa when he tours the farms of members of his congregation.

Njeru points out that bananas, mangoes, sweet potatoes and other crops can do well in the area, which is fertile, and bring them good profits just like khat.

Interestingly, every year, Njeru and some of the Christians hold special prayers beseeching God to dry up the miraa plants.

He says their prayers are answered at times and the crops are invaded by worms and end up drying up.

"If we have to tell the truth, it is hard for someone who has been chewing miraa since morning to dedicate time to serve God. We pray that God changes them so that they shun miraa farming and trading for other useful ventures," he says.

In neighbouring Meru County, the heart of miraa growing, Njeru's campaign is dismissed contemptuously even by church leaders.

Rev Joseph Gichunge, Assistant Bishop of Ntonyiri Diocese of the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) says the crop has a sacred place in the church.

"We literally do not talk about miraa in church here," said the Gichunge who has a six-acre khat farm.

"Churches across the denominations in Nyambene have been built from the proceeds of miraa. People bring miraa as offering and they tithe from their crop's earnings."

Gichunge argues that Njeru's teachings are neither Catholic, theological or biblical but "misleading personal views".

"We take miraa as any other crops and those cultivating it and living a righteous life should have no fear that they will not go to heaven."

Scientific Proof

He said nobody has any scientific proof that miraa is a drug and those claiming so are only intent at giving it a bad name.

"We know his are not Catholic teachings," said Gichunge who said that churches in Meru North even allow worshippers to chew the twig during church service.

Miraa farmer Desmus Kithinji of Kimachia village in Nkomo, Tigania West, also scoffed at the Catholic priest's stand.

Fresh from planting three acres with the crop, Mr Kithinji said the priest had lost direction and cited the traditional relevance of miraa during bride price ceremonies in the Meru community.

He said during the first ceremony when in-laws visit a bride's home for an introduction, a bunch of special high quality khat called "Alele" is only accepted with the consent of the bride and then passed around to those present as a sign of the new bond between the couple.

Kithinji added that by disowning the important crop, which he referred to as a "holy herb", the priest risked driving away members from his church.

Separately, The National Alliance Meru County Secretary Desmus Kithinji dismissed the priest's calls as misguided and likely to erode the church's following.