Kenya is exporting between 13 and 17 tonnes of miraa to Somalia every day, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has confirmed, moving to correct claims suggesting that more than 40 tonnes leave the country daily.
According to official data from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the country has shipped over 17 million kilogrammes of miraa since Somalia reopened its market in July 2022. The crop, cultivated by nearly 110,000 farmers across Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi, supports more than 1.4 million livelihoods and generates an estimated Ksh13 billion annually. Somalia remains the largest international buyer, even as 80–90% of Kenya’s miraa is consumed locally.
Kagwe attributed discrepancies in reported export volumes to fluctuations in market demand, cargo space, and supply variations. He assured Parliament that export data captured by AFA, Kentrade and KRA is now fully integrated under the government’s single window system to enhance accuracy.
To safeguard revenue and improve traceability, the ministry has introduced stringent new measures, including mandatory submission of airway bills and flight manifests, KEPHIS inspections for all consignments, deployment of AFA inspectors at export warehouses, and monthly reporting by airlines to the Kenya Airports Authority.
The government is also exploring new export routes, such as opening more landing points in Somalia, road shipments through northern corridors, and direct cargo flights from Isiolo to Manda Island.
Beyond logistics, the state has invested heavily in strengthening the miraa sector through irrigation projects, boreholes, market sheds, and cooperative financing. More than Ksh220 million in seed capital has been injected into miraa cooperatives, and the Miraa Research Institute under KALRO continues to guide research and market development. The government has collected Ksh67.9 million in miraa levies since 2023, funds that are being reinvested into research and market expansion.
CS Kagwe said the government remains committed to professionalizing the miraa value chain and opening new export markets to secure better incomes for farmers.
