By Mumo Judah, June 22, 2026
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir has renewed his push for the national reclassification and restriction of muguka, warning that the stimulant crop is fuelling a deepening public health crisis along Kenya’s coastal region.
Speaking on Monday, June 22, 2026, the governor intensified calls for stronger regulatory action against the substance, citing what he described as overwhelming evidence from rehabilitation centres and public health facilities indicating a surge in addiction-related admissions linked to muguka consumption.
According to Nassir, the scale of the problem has reached alarming levels, with the majority of patients admitted to rehabilitation centres in Mombasa presenting cases directly tied to substance dependence on muguka.
“Majority of those admitted to rehab centres in Mombasa are there because of muguka,” he said, pointing to treatment data as justification for urgent policy intervention.
The governor further argued that existing national classification frameworks fail to adequately reflect the harmful effects of the stimulant, insisting that its chemical composition and behavioural impact place it within the category of restricted substances under both national and international health standards.
“NACADA has a rehabilitation centre in Mombasa, and the majority of those admitted there are because of muguka. The chemical substance found in muguka is illegal under both Kenyan and international standards. I had banned it, but the decision was challenged in court,” Nassir stated.
He maintained that county governments have a constitutional obligation to safeguard public health, particularly among vulnerable youth populations increasingly exposed to substance abuse. Nassir warned that muguka poses a greater long-term threat to children and adolescents than other commonly cited illicit substances.
Public health data from treatment facilities, including Port Reitz Hospital and county-supported rehabilitation centres, appears to reinforce the governor’s concerns. Health officials report that a significant proportion of patients receiving treatment for addiction and related mental health conditions fall within the 15–25 age bracket, highlighting the growing vulnerability of young people.
County records further indicate that muguka consumption is linked to a range of social challenges, including rising school dropout rates, homelessness among youth, family breakdowns, and increasing unemployment-related distress in urban settlements.
In addition, Mombasa health authorities report that more than half of psychiatric emergency admissions involve patients presenting with dual diagnoses associated with heavy stimulant use, raising concerns about the broader mental health impact of the substance.
The renewed campaign has reignited a long-standing national debate over muguka regulation, exposing sharp economic and political divisions between Kenya’s coastal leadership and producing regions in the central and eastern parts of the country. While coastal authorities argue for stricter controls or an outright ban in the interest of public health, leaders and stakeholders from Embu and Meru counties continue to defend muguka as a vital cash crop that supports thousands of farming households.
The dispute now places county public health priorities in direct tension with agricultural livelihoods, setting the stage for a renewed policy clash at the national level.
