‘We’re fighting a product, not a tribe...hatutabembelezana!’ Nassir maintains stance on muguka
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has
reiterated his tough stance on the supply, sale and consumption of muguka in
the county, saying he will not be cowed into lifting the ban which has led to
controversy.
Speaking on Saturday during Madaraka Day
celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront, the county boss went bare
knuckles on a section of leaders and the national government whom he accused of
intimidating him with tax evasion claims and court cases.
Nassir instead vowed to put up an unrelenting
fight to root out the drug from Mombasa, arguing that it was
destroying the lives of the people who elected him to serve them.
He told off a section of Mt. Kenya leaders
protesting the ban over its economic implications for the farmers, noting that
his fight was not aimed at a specific tribe or region, but rather at the
harmful effects of the stimulant.
“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 slammed a section of Mt. Kenya leaders
that he says are tribalizing the fight against muguka to fit their own whims.
"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 makes Ksh.12 billion per year on muguka sales is inconsequential
compared to the Ksh.7 billion Mombasa County spends every year on dealing with
the harmful effects of the drug.
"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 rubbished assertions
that the move to ban muguka and entangling himself in a fight against 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 remarks follow President William Ruto's
call to Nassir to allow room for discussions with the affected counties as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
On Thursday, Kenya Revenue Authority
(KRA) officials raided his Rahma FM radio station over tax
compliance issues.
The governor later came out to accuse the government of a witch-hunt insinuating that
the sudden scrutiny from the taxman stemmed from his recent decision to outlaw muguka.
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