Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has reiterated his tough stance on the supply, sale and consumption of muguka in the county, saying he will not be cowed into lifting the ban which has led to controversy.

Speaking on Saturday during Madaraka Day celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront, the county boss went bare knuckles on a section of leaders and the national government whom he accused of intimidating him with tax evasion claims and court cases.

Nassir instead vowed to put up an unrelenting fight to root out the drug from Mombasa, arguing that it was destroying the lives of the people who elected him to serve them.

He told off a section of Mt. Kenya leaders protesting the ban over its economic implications for the farmers, noting that his fight was not aimed at a specific tribe or region, but rather at the harmful effects of the stimulant.

“Nina radhi na dua za watu wa Mombasa; nikisema watu wa Mombasa simaanishi kabila hili wala dini hii…wote walio hapa ni watu wa Mombasa. Ukabila mtapeleka kwingine wala sio hapa,” he said.

“We are fighting a product, we are not fighting a tribe, we are fighting a product that is hurting us, nothing else…hiyo propaganda mnataka kutumia sijui kesi…safari hii mtajua hamjui.”

Nassir slammed a section of Mt. Kenya leaders that he says are tribalizing the fight against muguka to fit their own whims.

"Tutafanya vile tunaka ili kuzuia biashara ya muguka hapa kwetu Mombasa, hatutabembelezana. Hatuwezi kuzungumza tangu tukiwa wabunge hadi sasa, nakubembeleza kwani wewe ni nani na sipeleki mahari kwenu,” he stated.

According to the Governor, the report that Embu County makes Ksh.12 billion per year on muguka sales is inconsequential compared to the Ksh.7 billion Mombasa County spends every year on dealing with the harmful effects of the drug.

"Mombasa spends Ksh.7 billion every year because of muguka. Mombasa spends more on muguka than sukuma wiki and spinach, how? Wakati napeana onyo kuhusu hii biashara wengine waliniona chizi fresh. Mimi nilipigiwa kura na wakaazi wa Mombasa kupigania maslahi yao. Hakuna muguka itaingia katika county ya Mombasa, final!” Nassir remarked.

At the same time, he rubbished assertions that the move to ban muguka and entangling himself in a fight against the government would result in his political extinction.

He said, “When I was signing the order, one of the MPs told me that that could be my political deathbed. But I told him that I would rather die standing than live when I’m kneeling.”

“We have been enslaved and it is high time we break from the shackles.”

Nassir's remarks follow President William Ruto's call to Nassir to allow room for discussions with the affected counties as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

On Thursday, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials raided his Rahma FM radio station over tax compliance issues.

The governor later came out to accuse the government of a witch-hunt insinuating that the sudden scrutiny from the taxman stemmed from his recent decision to outlaw muguka.