CORD LEADER RAILA ODINGA PETITIONS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON OVER MIRAA BAN: Opposition leader Mr Raila Odinga has launched a new plea with the British Government to review its stand on miraa, with only days before June 24th 2014, the effective date of miraa ban in the United Kingdom. Raila disclosed today that he dispatched a letter to British Prime Minister Mr David Cameron last Friday asking for an extension of the effective date by at least a year. Mr Odinga said the extension will allow further consultations and durable solutions, although he feels the best outcome would be a revocation of the ban altogether. The one year extension would also allow communities in Meru and Nyambene to explore alternatives and markets since they have all along depended almost entirely on miraa, with the UK as the main market. The Opposition leader expressed fears that the ban is going to hit communities in the greater Meru region particularly hard at a time of great economic uncertainty in the whole country. He pleaded that the people of Nyambene and Meru need, at the very least, a bit more time in which to address the issues around miraa, although the ideal solution would be for a complete lifting of the ban. He has promised the UK government that should an extension be granted, he will personally initiate discussions with the Kenya Government and elected leaders from the region including Members of Parliament, Senators, Members of County Assemblies and Governors on what can be done to ensure the miraa/khat business does not pose a security problem to Kenya and to the UK and that Al Shabaab and other terror organizations do not benefit from it. He also promises to use the extension to work out better regulation of the business, including registration of all involved in the hope that the changes could persuade Her Majestys Government to lift the ban.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 08:33:28 +0000
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