This archive report was first published on 19 October 2021.
On October 18, 2021, Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho accompanied Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on a tour of Meru County, drumming up support for his potential fifth stab at the Presidency in 2022.
During the tour, Joho stole the show by declaring that his administration would no longer tax miraa transporters entering Mombasa County, a move that was met with wild cheers from the crowd.
According to Joho, he had decided to drop the tax after witnessing the welcome accorded to Raila in Meru, Kenya's main Miraa (Khat) growing region.
"From today, the miraa coming into Mombasa will no longer be taxed," Joho declared.
His decision was seen as a boost for miraa farmers in Meru, who have been struggling due to the reclassification of Miraa as a controlled drug in the United Kingdom (UK) and majority of EU countries.
Raila, who was also on the tour, echoed Joho's message by promising to revitalize the miraa sector and open up new markets for the crop, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
