Mijikenda Kaya elders at the Coast have appealed to the government to give traditional herbs a try in treating Covid-19.
The elders say they can defeat the virus if given an opportunity to explore the use of ancient remedies.
Chairman Abdallah Mnyenze said on Monday they successfully treated similar diseases in the past using herbs and Covid-19 is no different.
“We used herbs to treat an outbreak of cholera, Kivuti, Ndui (a chickenpox-like ailment) and several others back in the old age,” he told the Star at Kaya Kinondo in Msambweni subcounty, Kwale.
Mnyenze said the virus is no different from others they tackled in the past and herbs could be the only possible solution to the Covid-19 pandemic.
They said researchers should join hands with Kaya elders to find the best cure for the virus from the Kaya forests.
Months ago, Kwale Kaya elders launched a door-to-door campaign to educate residents about coronavirus and promised to assist the government whenever possible in finding a cure.
Stanley Mbeo from Kaya Ribe said traditional medicine used to work best in the past because people trusted the elders.
“Today, young men don’t want to take advice from the elders,” he said.
In March, Kwale committee chairman of herbal doctors and a Kaya member, Mwakusema Mwakweli said the arrival of Covid was so sudden unlike other diseases.
“This is no ordinary disease. We had so many others that were prophesied by the Kaya spirits but this is one is very strange,” he said.
According to Mbeo, a special prayer must be conducted to appease the gods to undo the "curse".
The Kaya elders are expected to hold the Chenda Chenda celebrations on Tuesday in the county and perform more rituals to seek assistance from the gods on how to defeat the virus.
Edited by A.N
