Members of Parliament have accused the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) of sleeping on the job.
Members of the National Assembly Committee on Administration and Internal Security termed Nacada as a toothless entity that has failed to do enough to eradicate drug and substance abuse, especially among the youth.
During a meeting with officials of Nacada on Thursday, the committee accused the authority of remaining silent on the raging debate of Muguka.
The lawmakers pointed out that the debate on Muguka has taken a political dimension while Nacada, which is expected to provide technical advice and direction, has been missing in action.
“You are sleeping on the job. You seem to have no teeth to bite. Other people have taken up your mandate and are running away with it,” said Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu
“Residents of the Coast are taking control of the lives of their people because you have failed,” she added.
Sotik MP Francis Sigei said the muguka debate has taken a political dimension because there is no scientific research from Nacada to guide a well-informed debate.
“The debate about miraa and muguka is now political. I would like Nacada to come up with scientific research to inform legislation. Let us separate it from politics,” Mr Sigei said.
“If we come up with scientific research showing that this thing is killing our people, I am sure nobody will oppose such a legislation in parliament,” he added.
Nacada Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa defended the authority over the accusation saying they are only regulators and that there are various agencies involved in the fight against drug and substance abuse.
“This issue is multi-disciplinary. We are the regulator and depend on the law,” Mr Omerikwa said.
Mr Omerikwa told the committee that muguka is legally referred to in the Kenyan framework under the crops (Miraa) Regulations of 2023 which is made under the Crops Act chapter 318 of 2013 as a variant of Miraa.
“In the view of the definition, both the legal and scientific aspects of miraa also apply to muguka,” Mr Omerikwa said.
According to Nacada, miraa contains considerable amounts of three chemicals namely, cathinone, cathine and norephedrine.
Although Mr Omerikwa did not clearly state whether muguka is illegal or legal in the country, under the United Nation conventions against illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances of 1988, cathine and cathinone are scheduled as psychotropic substances.
According to Section 4 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic (Substances (Control) Act No. 4 of 1994 criminalizes any trade in psychotropic substances.
“Any person who traffics in any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or any substance represented or held out by him to be a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance shall be guilty of an offence,” the Act states.
The statute defines trafficking as importation, exportation, manufacture, buying, selling, and giving, supplying, storing, administering, conveyance, delivery or distribution by any person of a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or any substance.
