Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi has said the ban on miraa exports to Britain was done illegally.
Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi
Kiraitu, who returned to the country recently after consultative meetings in Britain, said that British Home Affairs Minister Theresa May violated their laws when she “unilaterally” banned miraa in July. He was speaking to the Star in Nairobi yesterday.
The senator said May’s directive was a violation of the findings of an Advisory Committee on Misuse of Drugs, a technical committee that she initiated to advise her office on whether miraa was a drug.
Kiraitu said the technical committee advised May that miraa should not be banned because it is not a drug and cannot be linked to various anti-social behaviours like violence and family break ups.
“The decision of the minister was illogical and irrational because it did not have the force of the law. She went against the recommendations of the technical committee that she formed to advise her office on the alleged health issues related to the consumption of miraa,” he said.
“The English law has elements of natural justice requiring that the affected be heard before a decision is made. The minister did not consult the diaspora who uses the herb, the traders and more than 500,000 Meru farmers who are likely to lose millions of money,” Kiraitu said. He said the government is engaging Britain politically and judicially to have the decision overturned.
By DAVID MWERE, The Star
