President Uhuru Kenyatta's promise to miraa farmers

President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised to intervene to unlock the impasse on Miraa marketing in Europe.

And for the second day running, Kenyatta took the unity call to the Meru people and said Jubilee supporters needed to congregate in one political vehicle.

Reiterating the unity call, which he started on Friday, the President said grumbling and infighting in the ruling coalition was detrimental to the government’s development agenda.

“We should stay away from these petty fights among parties. We may have been elected in different parties but we are in one house called Jubilee. We should not be distracted by the squabbles but we should remain united,” Uhuru said at Maili Tatu in Igembe.

The President, who was accompanied by Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi, Governor Peter Munya and all the 10 local MPs, addressed rallies at Kianjai, Kagaene, Mikinduri, Maili Tatu, Muruati and later Maua.

During the visit, Kiraitu and Munya pledged to rally support for the Jubilee government and said their Alliance Party of Kenya party was firmly in government.

“We want to assure you contrary to what some people may be saying we are firmly in your government and we will continue supporting it,” said Kiraitu.

On Miraa, Uhuru said he had opened talks with countries that had banned the crop. But as he promised to use all available avenues to save the miraa farming from collapse, the President challenged the miraa farmers in Meru to diversify and engage in alternative agricultural ventures.

Speaking while ending his two-day tour of Meru, the President said he was concerned about the European ban of Miraa, which had affected the livelihoods of thousands families in the region.

“I have heard your cry and I can assure you the government is trying to engage these countries that have banned miraa. But I also urge you to look for alternative ways of making livelihood. We need to diversify and plant other crops,” Uhuru told a rally at Mikinduri in Tigania East.

He was responding to pleas from local MPs who complained that the Meru economy had taken a beating following the ban of miraa.