Uganda can Make Millions of Dollars from Exporting Khat-Minister Otafiire

The Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Kahinda Otafiire, who was on Friday appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs said that Uganda could be losing a lot of money on the international market for prohibiting the sale of the Khat, commonly known as miraa, compared to Kenya, which he said is minting millions of dollars exporting the chewy leaves.
“My colleagues in Kenya tell me they get US$120 million from exporting miraa to Somalia; US$120 million is a quarter of what we get from coffee exports,” he said. Uganda, he added, is in near isolation on the ban of miraa, against international practice. “Miraa is not a banned substance by the international community; it is a tradeable substance,” he said.