Coast Governors have declined to meet President William Ruto on Tuesday at Statehouse over Muguka ban in Coastal counties.
Five Governors from Coast region banned Muguka trade except Kwale county that strategically hiked all Muguka business rates up to Ksh300,000 license fee.
In a press briefing in Mombasa on Monday, the leaders led by Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro said that they will only decide to meet President Ruto after their in-house deliberations scheduled for Friday June 21, 2024.
Mung’aro said the Friday meeting will involve all coastal leaders including all six governors, senators, MPs and MCAs.
“After this particular meeting we will now decide whether to meet the President or not since we will have single voice to present to the Head of state,” said Governor Mung’aro who was flanked by his Lamu counterpart Issah Timammy, Tana River Governor Major Retired Dhadho Godhana and Mombasa County Chief Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir.
Nassir was the first Governor to ban Muguka after experts’ reports indicated various mental and numerous health challenges affecting locals mostly between (19-45) the productive age bracket in the country.
Mung’aro said the letters addressed to all the six coastal Governors was on short notice and they could not just go to meet the President at Statehouse blindly.
“We are tackling this issue in unison because it directly involves the well-being of our coastal people. We must engage all the coastal leaders, discuss at length until we arrive at one single document with all our demands, that is when we can meet the President,” said Mung’aro.
He said the meeting will involve health experts, civil society and other opinion shapers so that they all give their voices to be included before the Governors meet President Ruto.
Firm stand
“After our Friday meeting we will tell the public our stand on the scheduled meeting with the President. However, our stand on Muguka trade as of now is that it remains banned in our counties until after the meeting with the President,” Mung’aro stated.
He said Coastal leaders are not playing hide and seek games with the health of the coastal people.
“Various reports that were released by experts explain the situation in black and white. We can no longer remain mum as our youth are experiencing mental and other health challenges, all caused by Muguka consumption,” he added.
Mung’aro stated that after meeting the President the coast Governors will give out their different stand on Muguka business in the Coast region, however he added that Coast people will not embrace the trade of the stimulant.
The stand comes amid vigorous anti-Muguka campaign in Kilifi and Mombasa counties launched recently under the ‘10 days of activism against Muguka in Coast’.
