- “I started using Turituri seeds when I had my fourth child. When I got my ninth child I decided to stop giving birth. The Turituri seeds helped me,” Barrisa said.
- She said she would take six seeds at a go and would not give birth for one year.
Kenyan scientists have discovered a wonder tree from the Watta community in Kilifi county which can be used for family planning.
The Watta traditionally used the Turituri tree seeds as herbs for controlling fertility among women. It was secretly done as their husbands never wanted them to control births.
The Watta were traditional hunters and gatherers and most of their treatment was done using herbs from the forest.
Little did they know that it would be used by scientists to produce a herbal medicine that can prevent fertility without having any side effects.
A group of scientists from all over Kenya toured the Arabuko Sokoke forest last week to witness the major breakthrough of the Turituri herb.
The team was led by experts from KEMRI, the National Museums of Kenya and county governments.
The Watta women said they have been using the seeds for ages as their husbands were against pills or injections for family planning.
Tabu Barrisa has nine children, she said she used the Turituri seeds secretly without her husband’s knowledge.
She said she went to an elder who advised her to chew the seeds during the period she did not want to be fertile.
“I started using Turituri seeds when I had my fourth child. When I got my ninth child I decided to stop giving birth. My last born is 12 years. The Turituri seeds helped me control my birth rate,” Barrisa said.
She said she would take six seeds at a go and would not give birth for one year.
“Our husbands were against family planning. They claimed the community had a low population,” Barrisa said.
Dr Amos Lewa, a research scientist working with Kemri and a lecturer at Pwani University, said they have extracted drugs from different herbs found locally.
He said the Turituri cannot be easily used in its original form, however, after extraction one can easily use it to prevent fertility.
Lewa said three tablets of Turituri herb can prevent pregnancy for five years. He says the drug prevents hormonal ovulation in human beings.
“Each tablet is 500 milligrams and is taken with water just like panadol. One tablet prevents fertility for three months, two tablets for two years while three takes five years,” he said.
The scientist said he has been working closely with the Watta community after learning about Turituri.
"India, the UK, and Asia have been using Turituri seeds for years,” he said.
Lewa said they researched on the seeds for safety and efficacy. He says they found that it had no side effects.
He said so far there are two kinds of group sets among those who use the herb. Those who cannot ovulate and those who continue menstruating but cannot get pregnant.
“In some women it stopped even the menstruation for some time. However, after resumption they were not able to get pregnant,” he said.
Dr Atunga Nyachio, a scientist from the institute of primate research at the National Museums of Kenya thanked the Watta community for giving them a chance to research on Turituri seeds.
The institute, which uses baboons to research on drugs and their effectiveness found Turituiri to be effective as the baboons did not getting pregnant.
The research he said began in July last year and so far it is bearing fruits adding that soon people will begin using the herbs.
“The aim of the government is to ensure that the local community benefits from the traditional knowledge of the herbs,” Nyachio said.
Many western countries like UK and India which have been using herbs to make drugs now have big industries. He says this can also be achieved in Kenya.
Abigael Hagaya Guyo a Watta from Mabuani village said she was aware of Turuturi seeds but refused to use them because she has not been able to give birth.
To her, she fears that using the seeds could affect her fertility completely and prevent her from getting a child.
Kilifi gender executive Anisa Omar who was present during the meeting said they were happy that the Watta community could produce a herb that can be used to control fertility.
She said it is an opportunity for doctors like herself to see the importance of traditional medicine available among the community.
Other experts who spoke said they were happy that Kenya has made a stride to be able to make the major breakthrough in utilising the herb.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)