‘Wonder’ toothbrush of Turkana County

A traditional toothbrush vendor hawks the cleaning sticks in Lodwar town. It is a booming business in Turkana County. [PHOTO: LUCAS NG’ASIKE/STANDARD/STANDARD]

By LUCAS NG’ASIKE

Turkana, Kenya: Early morning across homesteads in Turkana County, men, women and children alike hold sticks to their mouths.

For a first time visitor, this may seem unusual but not until you closely observe this activity. While most Kenyan urbanites wake up to the conventional toothbrushes, the opposite is true for the Turkanas. Here, locals pick a stick, referred to as Esekon, which serves three functions in the mouth.

“It is both a toothbrush and toothpaste besides being medicinal,” says Moita Ewoi, 44, aka Babylon, an Esekon vendor in Lodwar town.

Ewoi says the stick has some medicinal value that can protect teeth from decay, make them strong and give the mouth a fresh breath.

“Just like a normal tooth brush, we advise our customers to chew the end part of the stick for about five minutes until it becomes soft. During the chewing process, a tasty liquid from the stick is extracted, which acts like the toothpaste,” explains Ewoi.

It is no wonder then that most Turkana residents have milk-coloured teeth owing to the frequent use of Esekon.

Scientifically, the tree from which Esekon is plucked is called salvadora persica and is mainly found in desert regions. Research indicates that traditionally, the tree has medicinal value.

“I have been using it all my life and even when I travel outside Turkana, I always carry my stock of Esekon,” says John Ekale, a civil servant.

Ekale says he has never seen a dentist since childhood. “One just needs about 10 minutes to chew and your teeth are sparkling white and you experience fresh breath all day. Never will you have toothaches,” he adds.

Cheaper option

And unlike toothbrushes that go for Sh20 (cheapest) and toothpaste for Sh35, Esekon just fetches for Sh5 a stick, which can be used for a week.

Apart from maintaining the teeth strong and white, and keeping the mouth breath fresh, Esekon is also used by locals as a pastime activity.

Ewoi says the stick is mostly used by herdsmen who chew it as they herd livestock and elders who use it as they hold meetings or while relaxing under tree shades.

Traditionally, Turkana elders would not afford walking without chewing sticks. They carry the chewing stick alongside their famous traditional stool, Ekicholong, as part of the mandatory items of their traditions and cultural values.

The vendor further says that according to the elders who have been using the stick for generations now, the roots of the Esekon tree and the greener leaves can be used to treat malaria, heart burn and help in excreting toxic substances from the stomach when it is socked in drinking water.

He notes that many locals prefer buying traditional chewing sticks than the modern toothbrush adding that his business competes with local supermarkets and retail traders in Lodwar town.

John Muriithi, a trader says toothbrush and toothpaste business in the area has dwindled.

“These sticks have made us reduce toothbrush and toothpaste stocks. We hardly sell them because locals, even those working here, prefer it,” he said.

Dental specialists are rare in Turkana save for one Government employed dentist based in Lodwar who handles few dental-related cases.

“We attend to very few patients with dental problems at the facility,” said Fredrick Momanyi, a dentist at Lodwar District Hospital.