Governor Nassir Maintains Stance As He Calls Out Tribal Wars On Muguka
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has restated his firm stance on the supply, sale, and use of muguka in the county, stating he will not be intimidated into repealing the prohibition, which has sparked controversy.
During Madaraka Day celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront on Saturday, the county head confronted a group of leaders and the national government, accusing them of pressuring him with tax evasion claims and legal suits.
Instead, Nassir swore to battle tooth and nail to eradicate the drug from Mombasa, claiming that it was harming the lives of the people who elected him to serve them.
He chastised a group of Mt. Kenya chiefs who were opposing the prohibition because of its economic repercussions for farmers, stating that his struggle was not against a single tribe or location, but rather against the stimulant’s destructive effects.
“Nina radhi na dua za watu wa Mombasa; nikisema watu wa Mombasa simaanishi kabila hili wala dini hii…wote walio hapa ni watu wa Mombasa. Ukabila mtapeleka kwingine wala sio hapa,” he said.
“We are fighting a product, we are not fighting a tribe, we are fighting a product that is hurting us, nothing else…hiyo propaganda mnataka kutumia sijui kesi…safari hii mtajua hamjui.”
Nassir blasted a group of Mt. Kenya officials for tribalizing the fight against muguka to suit their own agendas.
“Tutafanya vile tunaka ili kuzuia biashara ya muguka hapa kwetu Mombasa, hatutabembelezana. Hatuwezi kuzungumza tangu tukiwa wabunge hadi sasa, nakubembeleza kwani wewe ni nani na sipeleki mahari kwenu,” he stated.
According to the Governor, the report that Embu County earns Ksh.12 billion per year from muguka sales pales in comparison to the Ksh.7 billion that Mombasa County spends each year dealing with the drug’s negative effects.
“Mombasa spends Ksh.7 billion every year because of muguka. Mombasa spends more on muguka than sukuma wiki and spinach, how? Wakati napeana onyo kuhusu hii biashara wengine waliniona chizi fresh. Mimi nilipigiwa kura na wakaazi wa Mombasa kupigania maslahi yao. Hakuna muguka itaingia katika county ya Mombasa, final!” Nassir remarked.
At the same time, he dismissed accusations that the move to prohibit muguka and entangling himself in a conflict with the government would result in his political extinction.
He said: “When I was signing the order, one of the MPs told me that that could be my political deathbed. But I told him that I would rather die standing than live when I’m kneeling.
“We have been enslaved and it is high time we break from the shackles.”
Nassir’s words come after President William Ruto urged him to make way for conversations with the affected counties and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
On Thursday, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) authorities raided his Rahma FM radio station to investigate tax compliance issues.
The governor later accused the government of a witch-hunt, claiming that the sudden scrutiny from the taxman was due to his recent decision to criminalize muguka.
Governor Nassir Maintains Stance As He Calls Out Tribal Wars On Muguka
