Coast Governors Decline Ruto Invite to Discuss Muguka Ban at State House

Governors from the Coast region will not attend a meeting convened at State House Tuesday to discuss the ban of Muguga in the area.

The county bosses had been invited to State House, Nairobi to discuss the ban and agree on the way forward.

They instead want President William Ruto to accord them more time to consult further before they can come to the table with their counterparts from the four Mount Kenya counties that grow the herb.

A public forum has been convened this coming Friday to come up with resolutions that the governors hope to table before the Head of State.

Businesspersons in the miraa and muguka business around the Coast will have to wait a little longer to know whether the standoff between coastal counties and the counties that supply the region with the stimulant will be addressed.

The governors resolved not to attend a meeting called by Ruto at State House, Nairobi to try and resolve the issues that have paralyzed the business in the Coast.

Governor Gideon Mung’aro explained the decision, saying they would not be able to appear for a Tuesday meeting at State House.

His Mombasa counterpart Abdulswamad Nassir too said they will not attend the meeting.

It is after that public forum on Friday the 21st, which aims to come up with one resolve, that the governors say they will be ready to have a sit-down with the President alongside governors from the four counties of Embu, Meru, Kirinyaga, and Tharaka-Nithi whose businesses have been adversely affected by the decisions being taken by their counterparts at the Coast.

Mung’aro reiterated their stance, saying, they would issue a way forward after meeting with leaders from the region.

The governors have also decried the short period the Head of Public Service communicated to them informing them of the meeting.

The invite dated June 13, invited all six coastal governors to a meeting Tuesday June 18 at 2:30 PM at State House, Nairobi.

Mung’aro expressed their concerns, saying matter is more than a governance issue as it also tied to health concerns.

The courts have stopped the coastal counties from banning the product. There are more calls from the northern Kenya county leaders to ban the product in their areas.

This will affect the business at large. But those opposed to the consumption say it has health effects on the consumers.