Let the good old priest of Loliondo do his bit

By Nicholas Gumbo

In the practice of herbal medicine and widespread use of herbal pharmaceutical products in Kenya today despite the lack of a clear policy and legal framework, enforces appreciation of the need to establish a policy and legal framework to facilitate the practice of herbal medicine and recognition of herbal pharmaceutical products.

It is no wonder almost every culture and every community have had to depend on an assortment of herbs at some point in their development. Indeed, most holy books make elaborate references to herbal cures/healings in a number of their verses.

Clear benefits

Alternative, herbal medicine has evoked spirited debate on its role within medical circles, especially because there are poor health guidelines in the country.

The use of herbal remedies is widespread in Kenya, primarily for the following reasons:-

• Poor access to modern health facilities.

• High cost of modern pharmaceuticals, which are generally beyond the reach of most Kenyans.

• Majority of Kenyans living in the rural areas are poor and cannot afford to attend hospitals, or purchase expensive conventional drugs.

• Unavailability of effective drugs to combat common diseases in rural areas.

• Swelling health budgets even among Kenya’s middle class.

Nevertheless, Regulating herbal practice will have clear benefits for Kenya. Among the expected benefits from a well regulated industry will be include:

• Elimination of stigma around most herbal medical practitioners who are still largely considered as witches.

This will make it possible to undertake more research in this area.

• A regulated herbal medicine industry can lead to experience in how to provide more affordable health care based on herbal medicine.

But ridiculing the efforts of good and well-meaning souls like the good old Pastor Ambilikile Mwasapile is not the way out of this conundrum.

Anyone trying to say Pastor Mwasapile’s herbs do not work is engaging in rumours. It is also a demonstration of very poor judgement to suggest most of the people trooping in their thousands to Samuge Village in Ngoro-ngoro in Northern Tanzania have been so blinded by faith they have lost their ability to think and debate. Others have also argued they know of cases of those who partook of the "Cup of Babu" but still saw no improvement in their condition.

Again, this is rather simplistic.

Who does not know prescription drugs for malaria, TB and other serious maladies have been with us for centuries? Yet some of these diseases remain the leading killers of our times. Why have they not declared malaria drugs useless, and labelled those who used them in their millions worthless fanatics?

Pastor Ambilikile

For me, the approach taken by the Tanzanian government is the way to go. The steps taken by the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority, National Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, the Chief Government Chemist and Registrar of Local Herbs is the right thing to do. If Babu’s herbs are to be dismissed, let it be based on a scientific foundation.

I also find it rather naÔve for some of those who have commented on this matter to say that it is now they are getting to know most of our people are sick, from known and unknown ailments.

Where have they been? Don’t they go to Kenyatta National Hospital, or such like institutions?

There are thousands, maybe even millions, who daily groan under the ravages of terminal illnesses. They are a burden both to themselves and those who look after them.

One thing we can not deny them is hope . . . hope even for a day, when somehow they can regain their normal lives again. It would be callous to suggest such people do not deserve hope.

There may be no independent proof, yet, that Pastor Ambilikile Mwasapile’s herbs cure the wide range of illness as claimed. But please, let us give the old man his due: the human mass trooping to Samuge Village every day is proof that the old man is capable of giving at least one thing to many: Hope.

Even his harshest critics must give just this one to Babu, who has succeeded where governments have failed.

The writer is MP for Rarieda Constituency and Sponsor of the Motion for Formulation of Policy and Legislative Framework on Herbal Medicine.