Before the devastating loss of the lucrative British and Dutch markets in 2014, khat, or miraa, the mild stimulant predominantly grown in Nyambene, Meru County, was ranked among the country’s topmost foreign revenue earner.
Miraa farming has since gone through a rollercoaster, leaving farmers reeling from the adverse effects ravaging their treasure trove, their age-old economic mainstay.
Miraa sale transforms to school fees, health bills, food, housing and businesses. It is a beacon of hope to the Meru community and a spiritual symbol popularly used in dowry payment.
Then-President Uhuru Kenyatta attempted to revitalise the newly categorised cash crop by allocating Sh1 billion to cushion the farmers. When his predecessor and ertswhile deputy, Dr William Ruto, appointed ex-Meru Senator Mithika Linturi and former Igembe Central MP Kubai Iringo, both prominent miraa farmers, respectively as Agriculture cabinet secretary and Ambassador to Somalia, a notable miraa market, it gave farmers hope that the duo would boost a sub-sector they understand so well.
First, President Ruto should intervene to dismantle cartels that allegedly demand as much as Sh82,000 commission per bag before any cargo leaves for Somalia. It is said Somalia consumers are shifting to Ethiopian khat, which has made prices to nose-dive and is hurting Kenya’s balance of trade.
As promised during election campaigns, the government should proactively diversify the market to give farmers more alternatives. As our diplomats seek foreign markets , other officials must ensure the seamless transportation of the perishable produce. There is a need to diversify local markets too.
County governments must also stop imposing unaffordable levies and bans on the cash crop. The region’s leaders must desist from using it to gain political mileage as residents languish in poverty.
