Shock for Muguka Farmers as Bill to Strip Crop of Legal Status and Govt Support Gets to Parliament
- A new bill tabled in Kenya’s National Assembly seeks to delist muguka from the list of scheduled crops, potentially stripping it of state protection and regulatory support under the Crops Act
- The amendment, introduced by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, aims to differentiate muguka from miraa despite both being variants of Catha edulis
- If enacted, the bill would expose muguka farmers and traders to economic risk by removing access to government support and protection
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Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.
Thousands of muguka farmers in Kenya are staring at an uncertain future after a new legislative proposal seeking to delist the stimulant crop from the country’s list of scheduled crops was tabled in the National Assembly.
Source: UGC
The proposed amendment, introduced by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, aims to differentiate muguka from miraa (khat), which are both variants of the Catha edulis plant and subsequently strip muguka of its recognition under the Crops Act.
"The First Schedule to the Crops Act is amended in Part 3 by deleting the item “Miraa, ……… Catha edulis” and substituting therefor the following item: Amendment of the First Schedule to Cap. 318. Miraa ……… catha edulis, but does not include the variety locally referred to as muguka," read the bill in part.
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What is the purpose of the bill?
If passed, the Crops (Amendment) Act, 2025 would remove muguka from the protective legal framework that guarantees State-backed regulation, support, and market access for scheduled crops.
“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 amendment bill in part.
Data from the Embu county government indicates that the muguka economy is valued at approximately KSh 22 billion annually, supporting not only farmers but also transporters, retailers, and traders across the supply chain.
The bill, if enacted, would strip muguka of the protections and benefits accorded to scheduled crops, such as access to subsidies, extension services, national market structures, and scientific research, leaving the sector exposed to regulatory uncertainty.
It would also open the door for county governments to regulate or ban muguka at will, a scenario that could reignite last year’s standoff between national and county governments.
Source: Twitter
Coastal counties ban muguka
In 2024, coastal counties, including Mombasa, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta moved to ban the sale and distribution of muguka, citing health and social concerns.
President William Ruto later overruled the bans, asserting that both substances were legally recognised under national law.
The stimulant, chewed for its mild euphoric effects, has drawn both cultural endorsement and medical scrutiny. While muguka has long been a source of livelihood, particularly in arid regions, critics argue that its use leads to adverse health effects, including dependence, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
The economic implications of the Bill could also ripple across county revenue streams. In Mombasa, for instance, the county government collects roughly Sh1 million daily in levies from the muguka trade.
A potential delisting and subsequent regional bans could choke off this income, further complicating local budgetary planning.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
