Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir has reiterated that he will not be cowed in his fight to ban the sale of muguka in the county.
Speaking on Saturday, June 1, during Madaraka Day celebrations in Mombasa, the county boss disclosed that he did not fear political downfall, maintaining that he was elected to serve Mombasa residents and fight for their interests.
"I was elected by Mombasa residents to serve them. There is no muguka that will enter Mombasa County. When I was signing the order, I was told that it could be my political deathbed. But I said I would rather die standing than live on my knees. We have been enslaved and it is high time we break from the shackles," Abdulswamad remarked.
The county boss asserted that Mombasa residents spent more on muguka than sukuma wiki .
"Mombasa spends Ksh.7 billion every year because of muguka. Mombasa residents spend more on muguka than sukuma wiki," he added.
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Abdulswamad further maintained that he was fighting a product and not a tribe, adding that muguka was hurting Mombasa residents.
He disclosed that he had ordered his government to offer free rehabilitation to drug addicts in the county who wished to stop using any drugs.
His remarks came days after his Radio Station, Rahma FM, was raided by KRA official over tax arrears.
However, the county boss said he would not be intimidated, linking the raid on his firm with his move to ban the sale of muguka in Mombasa County.
"If you have been sent to harass us, we are going to take this matter even further. If it's muguka causing these issues, to make you think we will be intimidated, we will continue,” Abdulswamad stated.
On Tuesday, May 28, President William Ruto held a phone conversation with coastal governors Abdulswamad, Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi), and Andrew Mwadime (Taita) over the ban of muguka in their counties.
The Head of State disclosed that they agreed to participate in a meeting of all stakeholders to be convened by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi previously maintained that mũgũka is a cash crop in accordance with the Crops Act 2013 and the Miraa Regulations 2023.