Wednesday, May 06,
2026 - Controversial nominated Senator, Karen Nyamu, has stirred
conversation after candidly admitting that she consumes miraa (khat),
describing it as one of her “small pleasures of life.”
The revelation came during a Senate session debating a
proposed amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Murungi, seeks to declassify
cathinone and cathine, the active components in miraa, from the list of banned
substances.
Nyamu argued that the current legal framework creates
contradictions that stifle the industry.
“I consume miraa personally. I don’t abuse miraa. I do it maybe
once in a month and it is one of those small pleasures of life,” she
said.
She stressed that consumption should not be confused with
abuse, citing World Health Organisation studies which, she claimed, show miraa’s
low risk of dependency.
Nyamu insisted that those who struggle with the stimulant
are “simply abusing it,” rather than the crop itself being inherently
dangerous.
She lamented that current narcotics laws prevent investors
from adding value to the crop, pointing out that products like “Jaba juice” are
traded informally as if illegal.
This, she said, leaves farmers and entrepreneurs in limbo,
since the Crops Act of 2013 recognises miraa as legal while narcotics laws
suggest otherwise.
“We are telling farmers on one hand, grow the crop, and on the
other hand, telling investors they cannot process it,” Nyamu
stated.
She urged the House to pass the amendment to unlock jobs for
youth and expand the tax base, while highlighting the industry’s scale.
According to reports, over 500,000 families in Meru rely on
miraa directly and indirectly, with the trade funding school fees, livelihoods
and contributing significantly to Kenya’s GDP and tax base.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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