Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir alongside other governors from the Coastal region have declined to honour an invite for a meeting at State House.
On Sunday, the governors vowed not to attend the meeting which was aimed at deliberating on the muguka ban instituted by the counties.
The meeting was also aimed to bring together leaders from the coast region and those from Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties.
“As Governors of the Coast Counties, we are in receipt of communication from State House inviting us for a meeting to deliberate on the issue of Muguka with our counterparts from Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu, read the governors’ communique.
However, Abdulswamad and his counterparts agreed to only hold the meeting under the condition that the President meet other leaders from the region including MPs and Senators.
“We have resolved to respectfully request State House to engage the entire leadership of the Coast including Senators, MPs and Assembly Leadership exclusively prior to any other sitting,” stated Abdulswamad.
The Coastal governors added that the decision for the inclusion of the other leaders was following a consultative meeting with them as the matter affected the society as a whole.
Following the leaders’ resolution to boycott the meeting the stalemate on the matter is set to continue.
Additionally, the Coastal leaders have maintained a hard stance citing that muguka has serious implications for their electorate.
Meanwhile, the leaders from the Tharaka Nithi, Meru and Embu counties have sought the intervention of the State House stating that the ban effected in three counties was illegal.
Additionally, farmers from the counties have been lamenting that the rate of unemployment is on the rise after the ban on muguka and the closure of miraa and muguka-selling shops in the coast.
According to the farmers who spoke to the press earlier, the number of casual labourers being hired had decreased drastically.
