Even after the president declared the ban against Muguka in the coastal counties null and void, it seems like the fight is not over yet. Muguka traders and county officials continue to have standoffs as lorries ferrying Muguka to Mombasa are denied entry.

On Thursday, violent confrontations were witnessed as muguka transporters and county enforcement teams classed. This was after the trucks ferrying the products were blocked at the cess collection point located in Miritini.

The county teams had mobilized organized youths to act as their reinforcement in blocking the traders from accessing the market. This happened after the traders and transporters overpowered the county reinforcement teams on Wednesday and forcefully gained entry into the Kongowea market.

County officials had blocked roads using their vehicles in attempts to prevent the trucks ferrying muguka from entering Mombasa. This caused a huge fight between the traders and county officers, forcing the County Traffic Unit to intervene. The traders later gained entry into the market.

However, they were not lucky on Thursday, as the county seemed to have come prepared with a heavily mobilized team of youths. The youths had mounted roadblocks and armed themselves with stones, waiting patiently for the transporters.

The transporters, on their part, came prepared with a convoy of bodaboda escorts ready to force their entry. The loaded trucks seemed to have acquired goons from Mazeras and Mariakani ready to help.

As the convoy of loaded trucks and bodaboda goons approached the cess collection point, they were shocked to encounter the heavily prepared county reinforcement team.

The youths immediately charged into the convoy, hauling stones, broken bottles, and all types of objects. The county team seemed to have won the match, as the lorries loaded with muguka were forced to turn back.

Soon after the chaos, the transporters blocked the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway with a huge bonfire in protest. They later retreated to Mariakani, where they offloaded the Muguka to sell to residents in the area. The traders cried of massive losses as they were unable to access the bustling city market.

Muguka being prepared for the market

Speaking in Miritini, the Director of the Inspectorate in Mombasa County, Charles Changawa, said that the county team is ensuring that the traders of muguka pay cess in accordance with county laws.

Changawa says they’re determined to ensure safety and decorum and will not allow the traders to gain forceful entry into the market again.

The fight against muguka in the coastal cities seems not to be ending soon as different bodies continue to urge the government to ban the product.

Religious leaders from Mombasa point out the detrimental effects of the drug on the community, which include increased divorce rates, poor school performance, and dropout. They say that banning muguka will safeguard society and future generations.

The former Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim adds that the fight against muguka is medical and not political. Farah says that the chemical formula in muguka and miraa is the same as toxic drugs and should be banned, just like shisha and marijuana. NACADA had classified muguka as a drug based on its chemical formula.