Page 29 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 2

ISSUE TWO | SEPT/OCT
We have the pleasure and absolute honor to introduce Dr. Jack Kaguu Githae, the founder of
The School of Alternative Medicine and Technology. An herbal practitioner of repute, he’s
among the people who have high regard for African indigenous knowledge, which he enunciates
with much enthusiasm. He has for a long time been expressing his desire of restoring
the African continent to its former glory as the cradle of mankind. This, as he has been
affirming in his healthcare delivery, and through periodicals he has been publishing can be
done by articulating the African ideology that incorporates a wide spectrum of knowledge
including technology, architecture and medicine. Besides, Dr. Githae is a teacher and a
farmer who has a wealth of knowledge in both agriculture and livestock production.
He yearns to transform individuals, families and communities for a holistic approach to
health and healing. His own journey just happened to take him along the path of preserving
and restoring health through the avenue of traditional medicine, which was not his original
intent. We had the privilege and opportunity to talk to him and we barely scratched the
surface of the depths of his wisdom, but what we got, we gladly share.
At Msingi Afrika Magazine, we hold the firm belief that God has put in place bridges between
epochs, who hold the knowledge from one era, are able to safely traverse a difficult and
challenging transitional period (in Afrika’s case – colonialism), and enter a new era and
who are especially graced to bring what was into the new - without any loss, but with great
improvements. Dr. Githae is one of those bridges and we know that there are others. Think
of this a chat by the fire with someone you really needed to hear from, and enjoy.
Here now is wisdom. In Dr. Githae’s words:

The Beginning former is not as effective as the even became worse because the
I grew up in an African traditional latter, which works very fast. This scraping was taking away the
background setting. It was is was one of my first experiences. cells that were literally building up
during the State of Emergency in There were other disadvantages to heal. That’s why I said, “Well,
Kenya, when traditional medicine with the modern medicine as I now that it’s not working, why not
had been banned by the British came to discover. try what my grandmother used to
Colonial Government. Perceived First accessing the hospitals was do?” She used to send us, so we
as outdated, primitive and a challenge. They were located knew what herbs to pick and how
retrogressive, no one wanted to be far away forcing most patients to to prepare them. I tried this and I
associated with such a practice. travel for several kilometers while recovered.
To the Colonial regime, there was seeking for treatment. Again, to I was a very young man, and I
no difference between a traditional be attended to by the medical developed the interest in traditional
healer and a sorcerer or a witch personnel in these hospitals healing early, to the extent that I
doctor. meant using money, which was even wanted to do medicine, but
My paternal grandmother very scarce during those years. To human medicine was not offered
happened to be a traditional healer. us, this was a new phenomenon in Kenya in the 60s. That’s how
She used to treat all of us using that looked unkind and distasteful. I ended up doing veterinary
different therapeutic processes, Why? Whenever we fell ill, my medicine at Egerton College (Now
including massage. She also used grandmother was readily available. Egerton University). When I joined
herbs and dietary means to treat And the kind of care and affection the institution, we would go for
different ailments and conditions she showed while treating us was attachment across the country
and so all along, we never went to longer there. I recall an incident and I encountered so many sick
hospital. Over the years she had that occurred to me immediately people. And most of the ailments
acquired a wealth of knowledge after she died. I had suffered an they suffered are the ones that my
and experience in traditional injury and with an oozing wound, grandmother treated using herbs.
healing, but with the Declaration of I needed urgent attention, which I started taking pieces and treating
the State of Emergency, she could saw me become the first person in them – and they would recover.
no longer practice her trade in the the family to go to hospital. Gradually I became very popular
open for fear of police harassment It was a very painful experience, with the healing more than with the
and arrest. The only option for her which makes me tremble every veterinary work!
was to underground, though she time I recall the discomfort and Later, I was handpicked by the
still clung to this outlawed practice anguish I had to endure. I had to FAO to spearhead a project on
until she died in 1960. limp, for seven kilometers to the wool sheep and I was taken to
It was not until her death that health facility for the dressing of Australia for specialization. When
we started going to hospital for the wound and return back home. in Australia I found libraries full of
treatment and, as we came to At the hospital nurses would, information like my grandmother
find out, there was a big variance scrape it all out, it would bleed, was using. That’s the first time I
between conventional medicine they would dress it up again then discovered that it was scientific.
and the traditional ones. The I would walk... it never healed. It The way she did it was professional,
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