Miraa traders who had applied for licenses to export the stimulant to Somalia will start to get their licenses from today Friday, July 22, in a move that will see Kenya re-enter the Somalia market after a three-year ban.
So far 20 exporters have applied for export licenses in line with the miraa regulation Act 2021, which requires them to be licensed and obtain a permit for every consignment. The export to Somalia was expected to commence on July 5th but it was derailed by a lack of export certificates, which are supposed to be issued by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), as directed in the Crops (Miraa) Regulations Act 2021.
Somalia had stopped importing khat when international flights were suspended in March 2020 due to fear of the spread of Covid-19. The ban led to a loss of more than 50 tons of Kenyan khat valued at more than 20 million shillings a day. Diplomatic issues later kicked in making it difficult for the trade to continue.
The ban greatly affected the economy of the Mount Kenya region, especially Meru where the crop is mainly grown. Over the year, Mogadishu has grown into a critical market for Kenyan miraa traders accounting for 90 percent of the exports. Other markets include Mozambique, Djibouti, and Malawi.
Following the lifting of the ban last month, miraa traders who have complied with the crop act 2021 will have a chance to export to Somalia directly from Isiolo airport.
The Act stipulates that Miraa exporters will be registered in 30 days upon payment of 20,000 shillings for an exporter’s license and 2,000 shillings for an exporter’s permit, failure to which they will be liable to a fine of not more than 5 million shillings or three-year imprisonment, or both.
The act also affects local miraa traders who are required to register with their county government and sell miraa at designated points.
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