Herbalists urged to find Covid cure

A programme to spark innovation among medicine men is in the offing as the country resorts to finding alternative cures of common ailment including coronavirus.

Culture, heritage and sports PS Josephta Mukobe stated that the initiative will especially target herbalists with a focus to cure the Covid-19 infection.

"For long we have been ignorant on the assessment of traditional herbal medicine, the process of finding the cure to the coronavirus should not only be left to the Government alone,” said Mukobe yesterday. "The world is equally looking for a cure through herbal cure."

She challenged herbalists to work closely with officials from Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in finding cure to the virus that has claimed at least 1,600 lives in Kenya.

Her sentiments were shared by Council of Governors chairman Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who said there is a pressing need to find a lasting solution to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a speech read on his behalf by deputy governor Philip Kutima, the county chief urged other governors to support herbalists through research and funding.

“Herbalists should come on board and help us solve the coronavirus scare, do not sit on your innovation, trees and animal products have been very helpful in the past,” said Oparanya.

At least 200 herbalists from western Kenya showcased herbal medicines believed to cure various ailments ranging from ulcers, tuberculosis and other known ailments during the consultative meeting with the PS at Golf Hotel Kakamega.

At least 10 herbalists suggested remedies they claimed could cures Covid-19 related complications.