PHOTO | FILE Miraa farmers at Laare in Ntonyiri, Igembe North Constituency, Meru County, prepare the twig for sale.
NATION MEDIA GROUP
Sunday, October 13, 2013
A miraa (khat) trader in Britain has sued the UK Government for banning import of the commodity in July.
Mr
Mahamud Ahmed Mohammed, a member of the Somali community living in the
UK, filed the suit against Home Secretary Theresa May at the Her Majesty
Courts and Tribunals Service in London on October 2.
The case is referenced number CO/14552/2013, according to the court papers seen by Sunday Nation.
Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Women’s Representative in Parliament Florence Kajuju will be the star prosecution witnesses.
“Mr
Mohammed is the top importer of miraa in UK commanding over 70 per cent
so we will be supporting his case,” said Mr Kiraitu. “Hon Kajuju and I
together with Njuri Ncheke and other miraa traders will be the
witnesses.”
In July, Ms May announced that her
government would ban the import of miraa into Britain in a ministerial
statement delivered in Parliament.
But
in a suit filed by Paul Garlick QC, Mr Mohammed argues that chewing of
miraa is a long-established social, cultural and ethnic custom within
his community.
Mr Mohammed says the ban would prevent his expression of social and cultural customs associated with the use of miraa.
He also argues that he is an importer of the commodity and the ban would cause substantial damage to his business.
Ms May announced the ban following a report by Britain’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
She
said the report recommended that miraa should not be controlled but
acknowledged that the government should consider other factors when
making its decision.