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Women groups in Kilifi County have come out urging the national government to back the ban on the entry, transportation, distribution, sale, and use of muguka in the county. This follows President William Ruto’s declaration that muguka is a legal product, which contradicted Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s directive banning the product in the county.
Speaking to the Press during their peaceful demonstration on Thursday, Kilifi Mums founder Kibibi Ali stated that as mothers they have watched their children’s physical and mental health deteriorate due to muguka consumption and hence the need for the product eradicated from the county.
“Our children have become useless in the society; they are not able to engage in any productive activities once they are under the influence of muguka. All we want is the national government to support the county’s ban”, Ali said.
Former Kenyan ambassador to Zambia Sophie Kombe echoed the adverse health effects of muguka consumption and added that the governor’s ban was a way of looking out for the wellbeing of children in Kilifi who are fast falling into the trap of drug addiction.
“We highly respect our President, but we the people on the ground have seen and experienced the adverse effects of muguka on our health, especially on our children. We are pleading with him to listen and heed our voices,” Kombe stated. The women were supported in their demonstrations by members of Kilifi Boy-child Movement who reiterated the same concerns and urged the President to handle the issue as a health matter rather than making it a political matter.
Frank Nzao a political activist based in Kilifi stated that the government’s move to oppose the county’s directive to ban muguka highly undermines the essence of devolution in the country.
“The governor gave a directive that he does not want this product in his county and then the national government used the court to nullify that directive. This poses a threat to devolution. For devolution to be upheld, the directives of the governors must be respected,” Nzao explained.