Miraa crop supports almost the entire Meru region, Senator Kathuri tells Senate Security Committee

Miraa crop supports almost the entire Meru region, Senator Kathuri tells Senate Security Committee

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Appearing before Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations in a meeting that was chaired by Garissa Senator Abdul Haji to shade light on the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi (Sponsor of the Bill) informed the Committee that Miraa Crop supports almost the entire Meru Region Economically.

‘’The main purpose of the Bill is to amend the Second Schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act to remove Cathinone and Cathine found naturally in miraa from the list of psychotropic substances, thereby removing miraa from NACADA's drug classification,’’ Senator Murungi said.

‘’The reason of the proposed amendment highlighted above is that Miraa is a recognized crop under the Second Schedule of the Crops Act, 2013, and is a source of livelihood for many Kenyans, and the classification of Cathine and Cathinone substances found in Miraa contravenes the government’s position and continues to hurt the Miraa market,’’ he added.

Legislators also considered submissions by NACADA, the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, the Kenya Psychiatric Association, the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, the Kenya Association of Muslim Medical professionals, the National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims and Movement against Substance Abuse in Africa on the same Bill.