Kenya makes special request to United Nations regarding Miraa

david nganga

June 15, 2017 10:25 AM

The request could help safeguard the income of over 150,000 miraa farmers.

The fight to reclaim the long-lost European miraa market has taken a new twist.

Following the recent ban of miraa exportation to a number of European nations, Kenya has now sought the intervention of the United Nations to help recover the lost market.

In the special request made to the global organization, the Kenyan government wants the interpretation of the clause that European countries used to ban Miraa.

It also wants regulations that bar transportation of miraa as ordinary cargo reviewed as it seeks to safeguard the income of over 150,000 Meru farmers.

Speaking in Maua town while launching the implementation of the Miraa Taskforce report recommendations, Agriculture CS Willy Bett said the government would recover lost markets and seek new ones for the crop.

He added that the government is on the verge of reviewing aviation regulations which bar passengers from entering airports with miraa.

“I am aware that it is not possible to fly from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Eldoret with the bundle of miraa I have been given here because of the regulations. We want these regulations removed because that is neo-colonialism,” he said.

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The CS also said the ministry was fast-tracking the establishment of a miraa development agency, a research institute and demonstration farms in efforts increase production.

Majority of the European Union and G8 countries, the US and Canada have banned the use of miraa after reclassifying it as a controlled drug.

Meru’s annual miraa production is estimated at Sh5.1 billion with exports to the UK alone accounting for around 15 per cent or Sh772 million per year.

david nganga