As much as Mt Kenya East leaders want to thank Ruto for declaring Muguka legal in a tussle between the counties and Mombasa, Taita Taveta and Kilifi which has declared the stimulant illegal and should not be sold in their counties, I find Ruto’s intervention as just PR and knee jerk reaction to cool things but not a solution. This is far from over.
Liquor selling wines and spirits is not illegal but we all know the problems the investors in the business and partakers of the same go through with the authorities and county governments. Yes, the said counties can’t ban the sale of Muguka but can harass the sellers and customers to the point that it will be hard to sell or chew it.
Having only the growers and the sellers in a meeting was a quick fix. Ruto did not even attempt to have the complainers in the same meeting to iron out the underlying issues or propose regulations, be it the location of the Muguka dens, time to sell or any other issues they have against the stimulant.
Alcohol is very legal but prohibited in some hotels, the same way cigarettes are legal but prohibited in most places in major cities and towns. Ruto just played to the emotional parts of the Mt Kenya East leaders but he solved nothing.
What will he do or say when the said counties prohibit the Chewing of Muguka in their counties? Prohibition is not illegal. Ruto saw a political problem with Mt Kenya East and just gave a political solution that will only make sense to the political class and not cents to farmers.
