Leaders fight against United Kingdom’s ban on miraa

The Igembe Cultural Day, held at Mwerong’ondu Primary School at the weekend, was turned into a campaign against the UK’s ban on miraa.

Igembe North MP Joseph Eruaki, his Tigania East counterpart Mpuru Aburi and Woman Rep Florence Kajuju said UK’s claims that the crop was a drug were false.

Political, church and community leaders who spoke during the function also reiterated the plant’s sacred place in the community’s cultural heritage.

“When we talk about our community’s customs and cultural activities, miraa is among those. Our grandparents, parents, husbands and elders have always chewed it and it has never harmed them in any way,” said Ms Kajuju (pictured).

She said the climate in sections of Meru was only suitable for growing of miraa, adding that the UK ban on the crop had robbed the community of its main source of livelihood.

LIFT BAN

“Parents have been educating their children with money from miraa. Schools and churches have been built with miraa money. Miraa is a way of life for us,” she said.

Ms Kajuju, who chairs the Parliamentary Select Committee on miraa, said they will continue fighting the ban until its lifted.

“The ban of miraa by Europeans from their markets is akin to a fight against the Ameru traditional practices and values. They are also suffocating us economically,” she added.

Mr Eruaki said the security crisis in north eastern had made it difficult to access the khat market in Somalia.

“To make matters worse, the insecurity prevailing in north eastern Kenya was hampering the transportation of the crop to Somalia. We are appealing to the Government to secure transport routes in North Eastern so that miraa pick-ups are not attacked by militias,” said Mr Eruaki.

The legislators urged parents to ensure they take their children to school. They said as much as crop was earning them good money, they should keep their children at home to work in miraa farms at the expense of acquiring education.

“We want all our children to be in school because it is the best investment our community can make. Land is getting scarce and the population growing, meaning that we can only assure our children of a good future if we educate them,” said Eruaki. He said parents should also guard against losing children to such vices as drug abuse, alcoholism.