Kenyan Khat ─ The Social Life of a Stimulant

Carrier (African studies, St. Antony's College, Oxford, UK) describes the social structures of the production, trade, and consumption of khat (or miraa) in Kenya, a plant that has been targeted by international drug enforcement agencies because of its mild stimulant effects but is viewed with favor by many in Kenya. He discusses the economic benefits khat brings to farmers over coffee or tea, describes the transportation networks that bring khat from its production zones to local consumers and even to the Somali diaspora in New Zealand and Australia, and provides case studies of retailing among different ethnic groups in Kenya and in the UK. He also discusses the role of trust in khat trade and analyzes how this trust is enforced; looks at the ethnic, religious, and social contexts of consumption; and examines the effect of drug prohibition efforts an khat trade and consumption. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Neil C.M. Carrier, Ph.D. (2003) in Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews, is a research fellow in African Studies at St Antony's College, Oxford. He has published a number of articles drawing on his research on khat.