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The term miraa always evokes the image of overloaded Proboxes darting along the Thika Superhighway, while their cargo unloaded with the urgency of a heist, before they quickly disappear back into traffic. Miraa in Kenya is mainly grown in Mt Kenya East. Nearly 3 in every 5 growers reside in Meru. The total acreage under the crop is approximately 55,000 acres. Meru and Embu counties account for 88 percent of the total acreage. Meanwhile Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, and Marsabit counties make it to the top 5 of the major miraa growing counties.
The lush bundles of “Alele,” the finest grade of khat, and the “muguka”, a popular low-grade khat leaves always arrive at the bustling Nairobi Miraa Market greeted by the jubilant cheers of eager traders. The miraa value chain runs from the ranges of Mt. Kenya to every county in Kenya, as well as markets in Europe, Somalia and the Middle East. Our photographer Jimmy Kitiro captured the life cycle of miraa once it is loaded onto the pick-up trucks ready for transportation.
All photos by Jimmy Kitiro.
