• Outgoing Narok commissioner says people recommending herbs for Covid-19 should send samples to Kenya Medical Research Institute for testing. Says they can do more harm than good.
• He tells traditional herbalists to stop misleading people and warns people to beware of quack herbalists and untested dawa.
Maasai traditional herbalists must stop misleading people that their plants can prevent, treat or cure Covid-19 and people must beware of frauds.
Outgoing Narok county commissioner Samuel Kimiti issued the warning on Monday, saying unproved traditional herbs can do more harm than good when taken for Covid-19.
“Kenyans should be on high alert for people claiming to be treating Covid-19 and claiming to be herbalists because their mission is to pursue their own interests at the expense of many lives,” he said.
Anyone advising people to use local herbs should instead forward samples of the herbs to the Kenya Medical Research Institute laboratories for testing, the commissioner said.
Kimiti was addressing journalists before handing over the office to incoming commissioner Evans Achoki, who previously served in Marsabit county. Kimiti is moving to Bungoma as county commissioner.
“At the moment, we don’t have a cure for the coronavirus. Those who believe they have useful medicine should work closely with the Health ministry, which can advise them whether herbs can be effective,” Kimiti said.
The University of Eldoret has signed agreements with more than 50 Rift Valley herbalists to study traditional medicines to treat or even cure Covid-19 and its complications.
Researchers and herbalists say they believe it will be possible to find a traditional medicine to treat Covid-19, even as scientists try to find a vaccine against the virus.
Kimiti emphasised that herbalists are not trained doctors, researchers or scientists and have no right to tell Kenyans to use their medicine without government approval.
Only listen to the government about measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, he said.
“The state will not oppose any idea from its people and these herbalists should work with the government. If they find their medicine is real, they will formulate policy [on standardised quality, use and dosage] and start allowing use among citizens,” the commissioner said.
Kimiti said his biggest achievement in Narok was ensuring restoration began on the Mau Forest.
Rampant destruction of the forest has led to unreliable rainfall and rivers emanating from this water tower had started drying up.
“These are the reasons the government decided all people who entered the forest illegally must leave,” Kimiti said.
Most settlers moved out voluntary, allowing for the starting of the restoration process.
“The world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Mara River, which are among the leading foreign exchange earners, were at risk due to human activities in the forest,” the commissioner said.
“We are happy the forest is now being conserved and we managed to plant more than four million seedlings.”
The forest is, or was, the largest water tower in East Africa and other countries depend on it, he said.
Kimiti also said during his tenure in Narok, tribal clashes have declined or ended.
“The two Uasin Gishu and Siria clans who have been fighting over a boundary agreed to embrace peace and surrendered 14 illegal guns.
“The same for the Kipsigis and Maasai communities who returned illegal weapons, including bows, arrows and spears, to prove their commitment to end violence,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
Image: KIPLANG'AT KIRUI