Farmers’ perceptions towards khat (muguka) in Mbeere South Sub-County, Embu County, Kenya

Abstract

Khat (muguka) is one of the crops in Kenya, which elicits much debate because, on one hand, it is considered a drug of dependence and is also blamed for many other social evils. On the other hand, it is a crop that has both economic and cultural value. Despite the largely publicised social evils associated with it as a crop, smallholders are increasingly embracing its cultivation in the study area. However, little is known about how they perceive it so as to embrace it amidst the controversies. Therefore, this study investigated the farmers’ perceptions towards muguka in Mbeere South sub-County, Embu County, Kenya. It was guided by the social constructionism theory, which observes that humans construct social reality through externalisation, objectivation and internalisation. The study was qualitative and cross-sectional. The target population was all the muguka-producing households in the study area. A non-probability sampling technique was employed to select the muguka-producing households. Specifically, purposive sampling was used to arrive at a sample size of 112 households, and this was determined through saturation. Thus, a semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from the 112 households. Purposive sampling was also used to select the 15 key informants and the participants of the 3 focus group discussions. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis and was presented using direct quotations and narratives. The results showed that muguka was perceived as money (mbia), help (útethio), employer (mwandíkani), business (mbiacara) and coffee or tea (kaúwa kana manjani). The study thus concluded that muguka was perceived favourably by the farmers due to the economic benefits since it was not food and did not have a place in the Mbeere traditions, and that was why they embraced its cultivation. This was because its cultivation provided farmers and non-farmers with opportunities for earning income that was used to acquire assets, educate children, start small-scale businesses and meet all other household needs, including food needs, thus reducing hunger and poverty in the area since most of the people in the area were not in formal employment. Even though they perceived it favourably, its cultivation was blamed on other social evils such as school dropouts, early marriages, young men’s deaths, negative health effects, alcoholism and prostitution, among others. Others indicated that they cultivated it largely because they lacked other alternatives since Mbeere is a dryland and there was no water for irrigation. This study, therefore, recommends that the people of Mbeere South sub-County be provided with water for irrigation so that they can engage in the farming of other crops that would serve as both food and cash crops, most of which are not surrounded by controversies. It also recommends that intensive campaigns promoting the importance of education be carried out and training on financial management be offered to reduce the misappropriation of proceeds through excessive drinking of alcohol and prostitution.