The National Unity Platform (NUP) Party leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu popularly known as Bobi Wine has asked government not to criminalize the growing and use of khat since some farmers exclusively depend on it for their income and sustainability.

He said this on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, while appearing on a talk show on Jubilee FM a local radio station in Fort portal City while he was on his party’s mobilization tour in Western Uganda.

He defended khat saying that it is better than local brew which is more dangerous than khat and has not been regulated.

“I know waragi (local brew) is more dangerous than Khat but government has not banned it. Let them regulate it like the case of other countries such as Kenya and Yemen,” he said.

He said that in his tenure, certain laws will be abolished.

“In the new Uganda, we shall have laws that are favorable to all the people, including khat cultivators,” he said.

He advocated for Khat to be recognized as a cash crop instead of banning it, adding that, some farmers in the area depend on it for livelihood and survival.

However, Jacky Candiru, one of the Ugandan song artists said that while meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Annita Annet Among, shared her experience and how drugs affected her. she also thanked the Speaker and the 11th Parliament for passing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Bill 2023.

According to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Bill 2023, anyone who is found growing and producing khat without a license pays a fine of Ugx 2.4 million, while offenders who repeat the act may face up to five years in prison or a life sentence.