BY PHARES MUTEMBEI

MERU, KENYA: Miraa famers and traders are bound to incur substantial losses of revenue for the duration of US President Barrack Obama’s visit, when flights to neighbouring Somalia will remain suspended.

They reacted with shock to news that flights to Somalia originating from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Wilson Airport will be suspended in the period the USA president will be in the country.

Obama will be in the country for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Former Nyambene MP Joseph Mutuuria, who is also a prominent miraa farmer from the Mutuate region, said the ban of flights to Somalia, ostensibly for security reasons, spells doom for the miraa farmers and traders, who fly tons of the stimulant twigs to the Somali region.

Mutuuria said a section of farmers who supply Somali, one of the miraa’s remaining lucrative destinations, will suffer great losses because of the flight ban.

“We have five flights to Somalia daily, with each plane carrying Sh3 million worth of miraa. That means farmers will lose Sh15 million daily, and Sh45 million for the three days,” Mutuuria told The Standard.

He said the flights ferry the khat to Somalia regions of Mogadishu, Kismayu and Arigesa.

“Farmers who take their plant to the Somalia market are disadvantaged by Mr Obama’s visit, but we want him to step in and rescue us from the miraa ban imposed by United Kingdom, Netherlands and Canadian governments,” said Mutuuria.

“But while we thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for his Government’s contribution of Sh10 million to help us in the miraa case in the UK, he should push Obama to come to our rescue. We appeal to President Obama to use his influence and have the UK, Netherlands and Canada to reverse the ban,” Mutuuria said.

Another section of miraa traders who operate under the aegis of the Kenya Miraa Farmers and Traders Association, run 13 flights to Somalia on a daily basis, from the JKIA.

Source: Standard Digital