NAIROBI (Halbeeg News) – Khat trader’s association in Kenya has confirmed that its members lost 160,000 USD in less than a month after Somali authorities turned planes carrying khat back to Kenya.
Speaking to the media, Nyambene Miraa Traders Association Chairman Kimathi Munjuri said the authorities in Horn of Africa nation rejected to offer landing permission a plane ferrying 11 tonnes of the produce destined to Puntland in Somalia.
The authorities said the plane breached Covid-19 restrictions.
Munjuri faulted the Kenyan government for what he termed as ignoring several pleas to engage the Somali government over the miraa trade suspension.
“The plane was carrying 11.3 tonnes of the highly valued Griid and Alele varieties of miraa to Puntland. It entered the Djibouti airspace by about 10am after flying over Ethiopia and was readying to land in Puntland when it was ordered back to Kenya. This is the second huge loss in one month,” Mr Munjuri said.
He said the traders lost about 80,000 USD in the arborted trade deal.
Munjuri added: “It is painful because all the paperwork was right legally and procedurally.” He decried an intensifying campaign by anti-khat crusaders to have miraa banned in Somalia.
This is the second plane to be ordered back to Kenya by Mogadishu in a month. One ferrying 13 tonnes worth 80,000USD was denied entry early July.
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