Miraa farmers and traders during a meeting on September 25, 2020.
The miraa sub-sector has over the years been plagued by a myriad of challenges, including marketing, controversial regulatory proposals, cartels operating at the airports and bans imposed on the stimulant locally and intentionally.
Stakeholders now say they need more than the government and lobby groups if the fortunes of the crop are to be restored – divine intervention.
Subsequently, a miraa lobby and the Catholic Church have organised a special mass to dedicate the stimulant to God, hoping this will reverse the current downward trend.
The Diocese of Meru bishop Reverend Jackson Murugara will preside over the historic mass on September 4, 2026 at Maili Tatu grounds, at the invitation of Nyambene Miraa Trade Association (Nyamita).
Women sell miraa in Maua town, Igembe South. Miraa farmers have decried being conned by a cartel controlling export of khat to Somalia.
According to Nyamita spokesman Kimathi Munjuri, the prayer event which will bring together farmers and traders has been necessitated by 'a downward trend in the miraa economy since the 2014 ban in the United Kingdom'.
Miraa farmers have been majorly relying on Somalia as the main export market and efforts to secure more markets in Djibouti, Somaliland and Congo have not borne fruits.
However, exports to Somalia have also declined after the Federal Government set a daily import quota in 2022.
According to the Federal Government of Somalia Budget Policy Framework Paper for 2026, “imports and consumption of khat have been declining since 2025, and this trend is expected to continue in 2026.”
Mr Munjuri said while miraa is estimated to earn over Sh13 billion annually, the money is never felt in the local economy.
Import tax earned from khat declined from $17.1 million (Sh2.2 billion) in 2024 to $16.8 million (Sh2.08 billion) in 2025 even after the Somali government proposed measures such as strengthening customs verifications of khat declarations.
More problems
Despite various government interventions, including the classification of miraa as a cash crop, enactment of regulations and the subsequent allocation of Sh1 billion to the sub-sector, Mr Munjuri says their woes have intensified.
“Over the last 10 years, Nyamita has consistently struggled in transforming miraa fortunes in vain. Bans have intensified abroad and locally. There are no gains for farmers. This is why we have now resorted to spiritual intervention,” Mr Munjuri told Nation.
Last year, coast region and Northeastern leaders intensified calls for a ban on khat while several counties imposed hefty taxes.
Recently, Njuri Ncheke elders from Igembe region called on President Ruto to decisively deal with cartels in miraa trade, accusing them of fleecing farmers.
Mr Munjuri said stakeholders are concerned that the economic downturn of miraa ‘could be linked to generational entanglements which require a superior authority to severe’.
“We will be dedicating miraa to God to start a new chapter. In the past, we have engaged in weird practices and miraa keeps attracting negative energy. We will be praying for business and investment opportunities for the miraa crop,” he said.
Miraa ready for transport to for export.
Over the years, the government has progressively tried various policy and regulatory changes including pricing to no avail.
Last year, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe set a minimum price for various miraa grades, eliciting opposition from buyers and exporters.
The government set the price of a kilogram of Grade one miraa at Sh1,300 up from Sh700 while Grade two would sell at Sh700. A kilo of Allele variety was capped at Sh1,000 up from Sh500.
On the other hand, Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi has sponsored an amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act, aimed at removing cathine and cathinone, Miraa’s active ingredients, from the list of banned substances.
Researchers at the Meru University of Science and Technology are banking on the amendment to secure Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) approvals for khat juice and miraa infusion bags developed at the institution.
Recently, the Meru County government started enforcing the Miraa Promotion Act 2026, which seeks to implement the miraa regulations 2023, drawing opposition from a section of traders.
The county law seeks to ensure growers, aggregators, transporters and exporters are duly registered and licensed as per the miraa regulations and the Kebs standards of practice.
Aggregators are required to observe high standards of hygiene by having their workers go through medical checkup. They are also required to operate in licensed premises.
Transporters must use well aerated vehicles and clean food grade packaging bags. These measures are aimed at securing international markets that have been elusive over the years.
While Meru governor Isaac Mutuma has defended the laws as transformational, a section of players fear they may negatively affect the trade.
On Sunday, governor Mutuma vowed to follow through in the enforcement of the law to ensure farmers get value from the crop.
“By enforcing the Miraa promotion act, we have started the journey to liberate our farmers. Political leaders in Meru have been avoiding challenges facing miraa farmers for fear of backlash from cartels. However, I am sure that I will be a darling of miraa farmers once the law is fully enforced,” Mr Mutuma said.
The governor said by registering all players in the sector, the government will be able to secure farmers against negative trade practices.
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