The Kenyan Senate is debating a bill that seeks to remove miraa from the list of narcotic substances, sparking a significant division between economic proponents and public health advocates.

• The bill, sponsored by Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi, aims to delist miraa's active compounds, cathinone and cathine, from controlled substance schedules.
• Senator Murungi highlighted that miraa supports over 500,000 people and argued its classification is contradictory as it's also recognized as a scheduled crop under the Crops Act, 2013.
• Opponents, like Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, cautioned that these chemicals are internationally controlled due to harmful effects, citing their classification under UN drug control conventions.