For many years, miraa has been known as the main cash crop for Meru County. Although Britain banned miraa exportation to their country, the business still shines among the Meru people though at a lower rate
Transportation of miraa from Meru to Nairobi is through road and they use pick-up trucks to ferry their load.
These has seen the vehicles do unbelievable speeds on the roads to make sure the goods reach the destination in the shortest time possible. These facts will make you respect miraa business.
The speed at which they use is 160kph. This might sound easy to mention but when on board, you will hold on your seat scared of the speed. This means they do the double speed of what a common PSV doesAfter acquiring a valid driving license, the experienced miraa drivers will vet you before ferrying the precious goods. They will see how fast you engage and disengage gears, the eye contact on the road and how fast you can handle emergency breaking.After acquiring a new pick-up truck for the business, it undergoes a critical modification including addition of leaf springs for them to be stable on the road and to avoid inclination like other overloaded vehicles.With the booming industry, the pick-up trucks have ‘smart’ wheels which cost Sh.20000 each for the rear wheels and Sh.35000 each for the front wheels. This factor makes the cars hit any pothole and bumbs at the high speeds without punctures.
After a successful trip of ferrying miraa to Nairobi from Meru, the driver is paid Sh.2000 thus making it a real hustle.