Manyatta Member of Parliament Gitonga Mukunji has sharply criticised Kilifi North MP Owen Baya for sponsoring a parliamentary motion seeking the ban of Muguka, a stimulant crop cultivated widely in Embu and neighbouring counties.
Speaking in Embu on Monday, June 2, 2025, Mukunji shaded MP Baya and accused him of betraying the economic lifeblood of the region in favour of political gamesmanship.
He argued that the motion, if enacted, would severely disrupt the lives of local families who depend on the Muguka value chain, and went on to dismiss it as poorly thought-out and deliberately prejudiced against Embu County.
“Owen Mbaya, you who hold the position of Majority Leader, are now sponsoring a motion to divide Muguka and Miraa. First, I say to you — may you be defeated in the name of Jesus,” he said.
Populist politics
Mukunji went on to accuse the Kilifi North legislator of playing populist politics under the guise of public health advocacy.
He argued that the motion fails to consider the broader economic impact on Embu and surrounding constituencies, warning that its passage would amount to the destruction of livelihoods without offering alternative solutions.
“Secondly, because you have chosen to play the game of populist politics aimed at destroying the lives of my people in Mbeere North, Mbeere South, and Manyatta, we shall face each other — man to man — if you think I can be silenced.”
Further, Mukunji contrasted Kenya’s treatment of the Muguka crop with international trends, arguing that while countries like the United States are investing in research to unlock economic value from such plants, Kenyan legislators are leading efforts to criminalise them.
He framed this as backwards policy thinking that ignores the realities of rural economies.
“In the United States and other parts of the world, scientists are conducting studies to explore value addition and industrial potential. Meanwhile, we are busy plotting how to kill it — to cut off the only thing putting something in people’s pockets.”
Embu leaders
Mukunji then reserved some of his strongest criticism for the Embu County leadership, including the governor, accusing them of watching passively as the county’s economy is placed under threat.
He insisted that silence from local leadership amounts to complicity and warned Governor Mbarire against playing lip service to the people while staying quiet on such hot-button motions.
According to him, Mbarire has a bigger circle politically, and it’s her duty to stand up and speak out for Embu, especially since the people overwhelmingly backed her to win the governorship.
“And since this is a matter concerning the government, I want to ask — where is our governor? He has been completely silent. This bill must be withdrawn. As for Owen Mbaya, we now know you are not with us. Because if you can sit at the table while your brother is being betrayed and say nothing, then you too are part of the betrayal. This bill must be withdrawn. It’s now clear that you are not with us. You’ve shown your hand.”
He also turned his focus to leaders at the national level, calling out what he perceived as betrayal from former allies who had chosen to remain quiet.
In particular, he addressed the perceived position of Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, who previously represented Mbeere North.
He said they had recently attended a burial with Ruku, and though he expected Ruku to condemn the motion for its harmful effects on the county, his silence spoke volumes, signalling to Mukunji a lack of concern for the locals and their problems.
“I met Ruku at a funeral here, and I expected him to speak badly against the motion because he is from here. But he kept silent. I am yet to see him stand up and say it openly. If your brother is under attack and you are seated at the same table as those plotting against him — and you keep quiet — then you are part of the betrayal.”
In closing, Mukunji asked the public to give him the mandate to resist the motion both politically and legislatively.
He affirmed that he would not back down, even if he had to stand alone in defence of Embu’s farmers.
“I am ready to fight this. What I want to know is, do I have your permission?”
He added that his efforts were not driven by financial interests or popularity but by a moral obligation to stand with the people who entrusted him with leadership.
“If there is one person fighting for the people — someone who has refused to be bought — it is not anyone else. It is I, Mukunji.”
MP Baya’s Bill
The Anti-Muguka Bill, now at its first reading stage, proposes an amendment to the Crops Act that would formally distinguish muguka from miraa and subsequently remove it from the list of scheduled crops.
“The principal object of the Bill is to amend the Crops Act Cap 318 to differentiate muguka from miraa and therefore expressly exclude Muguka from being a scheduled crop,” the proposal reads.
This would mean significant setbacks for Embu farmers, as muguka would lose its legal status, threatening their livelihoods and the local economy dependent on its cultivation and trade.
