Committee on Appointments member Kilifi North MP Owen Baya at the Mini Chambers, County Hall, Nairobi. January 14th,2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
Kilifi North Member of Parliament Owen Baya has withdrawn the Bill seeking to delist Muguka from the scheduled crops category under the law.
The anti-Muguka Bill tabled by Baya in parliament last month posed a potential risk to the farmers, proposing a change to the crop act, differentiating the stimulant from miraa.
In a statement on Wednesday, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the decision was arrived at after he met Baya at his Karen residence.
“Following the request from Embu County elected leaders, met the Hon Owen Baya, sponsor of the private member’s bill that sought to delete Cathus edulis (Muguuka) from the Schedule to the Crops Act. The Hon Baya has graciously agreed to drop his legislative proposal,” stated Kindiki.
Kindiki thereafter shared photos of himself and the MP during and after the meeting.
The Crops Act, enacted in 2013, provides for the certification, regulation, and support of scheduled crops across their value chains to ensure industry standards and quality.
If the proposal was to be implemented, it would have removed legal protection and state support for the stimulant.
“The principal object of the Bill is to amend the Crops Act Cap 318 to differentiate muguka from miraa and therefore expressly exclude Muguka from being a scheduled crop,” read the proposed law.
Notably, all scheduled crops under the Act receive government attention through mandatory certification, national market structures, research, and extension services.
The scheduled crops are also eligible for state subsidies.
The Bill was tabled after prolonged tension between the coastal and eastern counties over the Muguka trade.
Coastal counties had repeatedly called for tighter restrictions or outright bans on Muguka, citing public health and social concerns.
Baya’s meeting with the DP came amid a consultative meeting with Embu leaders on government development projects.
“Met Embu Parliamentarians who paid a courtesy call to discuss the status of national government development projects in the county and government interventions to protect and strengthen critical agricultural value chains in the county- notably tea, coffee, milk, macadamia and cathus edulis (Muguuka),” Kindiki added.
Committee on Appointments member Kilifi North MP Owen Baya at the Mini Chambers, County Hall, Nairobi. January 14th,2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
Kilifi North Member of Parliament Owen Baya has withdrawn the Bill seeking to delist Muguka from the scheduled crops category under the law.
The anti-Muguka Bill tabled by Baya in parliament last month posed a potential risk to the farmers, proposing a change to the crop act, differentiating the stimulant from miraa.
In a statement on Wednesday, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the decision was arrived at after he met Baya at his Karen residence.
“Following the request from Embu County elected leaders, met the Hon Owen Baya, sponsor of the private member’s bill that sought to delete Cathus edulis (Muguuka) from the Schedule to the Crops Act. The Hon Baya has graciously agreed to drop his legislative proposal,” stated Kindiki.
Kindiki thereafter shared photos of himself and the MP during and after the meeting.
The Crops Act, enacted in 2013, provides for the certification, regulation, and support of scheduled crops across their value chains to ensure industry standards and quality.
If the proposal was to be implemented, it would have removed legal protection and state support for the stimulant.
“The principal object of the Bill is to amend the Crops Act Cap 318 to differentiate muguka from miraa and therefore expressly exclude Muguka from being a scheduled crop,” read the proposed law.
Notably, all scheduled crops under the Act receive government attention through mandatory certification, national market structures, research, and extension services.
The scheduled crops are also eligible for state subsidies.
The Bill was tabled after prolonged tension between the coastal and eastern counties over the Muguka trade.
Coastal counties had repeatedly called for tighter restrictions or outright bans on Muguka, citing public health and social concerns.
Baya’s meeting with the DP came amid a consultative meeting with Embu leaders on government development projects.
“Met Embu Parliamentarians who paid a courtesy call to discuss the status of national government development projects in the county and government interventions to protect and strengthen critical agricultural value chains in the county- notably tea, coffee, milk, macadamia and cathus edulis (Muguuka),” Kindiki added.
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By Sharon Wanga