President Ruto emphasised the government's commitment to combating drug and substance abuse in the coastal region and other parts of Kenya, noting this will make Kenyans healthier and productive.
During a stakeholders' meeting at the Kenya School of Government in Mombasa County on Friday, the leaders said that they were finally ready to meet the president.
The study that focused on users between the ages of 10 and 65 revealed that most male users begin chewing the stimulant in the afternoon and may go up to 5 am.
Governor Ahmed Abdullahi signalled that the county would join the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta, which had earlier banned the sale, supply, and consumption of muguka.
Muslim faithful Sunday lamented that consumption of the stimulant had ruined the lives of many youths and contributed to poor performance in schools, high dropout and divorce rates.
The committee, which will be officially gazetted by the end of the week, will determine and regulate the price of muguka across all counties.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti announced that she will not implement a ban on muguka until gathering public input.
They propose that researchers from Mombasa and Embu undertake this study and present their findings to President William Ruto.
Lamu joins Mombasa, Kilifi, and Taita Taveta as the fourth county to enforce such a ban, following announcements made by the coastal counties last month.
In a June 5 letter to the Coast Parliamentary Group, MP Geoffrey Ruku asked the leaders to reconsider their refusal to attend a consultative forum on emerging issues on miraa and muguka.
The legislator argued that determining whether a substance is a drug or not is a matter of scientific testing, not parliamentary debate.
Mombasa, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Tana River, and Lamu counties, which form the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani economic bloc, want to speak directly with President William Ruto, not go through the CS, with whom a meeting is set for Thursday.
They say Governor Fatuma Achani's sharp increase of charges to Sh300,000 per lorry is not enough to curb addiction to the stimulant.
Addressing the criticism from some Mt. Kenya leaders who claimed the ban harmed farmers economically, Governor Abdulswamad stressed that his actions were not targeting at any particular tribe or region but were solely for the benefit of his constituents.
While many users view chewing muguka as a harmless activity, scientists warn that its widespread use could pose significant risks.
After the incident at Radio Rahma, Governor Abdulswamad asserted that attempts to intimidate him would fail while only fueling his determination to rid his county of the stimulant he says has left many young people in rehabilitation centres.
The governor reported the seizure and destruction of 85 bags of muguka in the operation.
President Ruto noted that while the government is committed to the fight against drugs, illicit brews, and other illegal substances, muguka is recognised by national law.
