Page 31 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 2

ISSUE TWO | SEPT/OCT

having looked for a way forward on told my wife, “On my own, even if I was called to the Office of the
how we could partner to articulate I lived 100 years, I can’t articulate President, where I found a panel of
the thinking. I waited, I called and these disciplines one after the six officers. They interrogated me
finally, I decided to go there to find other. The best I can do is to for four hours. ‘Who am I? What
out what was going on. Eventually create an institution that brings is this idea all about? How shall
I was told I would need to work with other people who think like me I go about it? How will it change
a very young man who had no in together, so that as I articulate the Kenya?’ Surprisingly, they were
depth understanding of indigenous medicine, somebody else will do very impressed, so they wrote
knowledge. I thought it was like an engineering, another one would do back to the President and from the
insult. I was embarrassed. I shook architecture, another one would do Office of the President I got a letter
the hand of that young man, I said, agriculture.” That’s how the idea of to take to Commission for Higher
I will get in touch. That was the the School of Alternative Medicine Education for the Commission to
end. and Technology came in. register my school.
I went away I said to myself I made an application to the I wanted a university. I wanted it
that since, on my own, I cannot Ministry of Education to register to be a centre of excellence and
articulate the entire spectrum my school, and they laughed at for the base to be in Rumuruti,
of technology on my own in my me, they thought I was crazy. I where I had a 200 acre farm.
lifetime. I would pick one discipline took the application to Ministry The Commission inspected my
and demonstrate to the Council of Health; they thought I was premises in Nyeri and Rumuruti.
and the Kenyans that indeed a crazy; there were no provisions We were just about to take off
lot of our indigenous knowledge for anything indigenous in our when tribal clashes happened in
systems are just as applicable educational protocol. I went to 1992; the entire place was raided
and as valid as it was then. That the WHO, I knew there was a and destroyed. The officers for the
was how I picked indigenous medical department there and that Commission for Higher Education
knowledge after that meeting the WHO looks after the entire encouraged me not to give up. They
and that was how I started the continental and global aspect told me that I had a good idea and
practice seriously; and within one of things. There was a Kenyan that instead of starting a university
year I was in the papers. The doctor there who I tracked, I found where the minimum acreage was
head of the National Council of him in the office and said, “I’m so then 50 acres, that I should look for
Science and Technology read the and so I’m coming because I do a small place in a safe area, start
paper and he called me and said, alternative medicine and I’m plan- a Diploma awarding institution and
“Githae, you mean you were that ..” He stood up and said, “No. We when things normalized I could
serious?” I said, “Yes!” He told me, don’t deal with those things.” He then upgrade it to a university.
“Congratulations.” stood up and started walking out That is how the idea of The School
saying that they don’t do that. I of Alternative Medicine and
‘This man is a witch’ was very disappointed. Technology started in Nyeri. I had
I went on, and people came in This was around 1986-87. The a nursing home there which the
big numbers after the newspaper Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Commission advised me to use as
article. Then all these media had covered my program and was a school, because it would expand
houses called me, interviewed me, very excited about my work. One later on. The college opened in
I became very popular. But, I told of them, a very good cameraman, 1993 and we went on for a while. I
my wife, “Medicine alone cannot was fascinated with what I do and lived there with my family, I had my
liberate a people, liberation is a he used to visit me from time to medicine manufactured there and
multi-faceted initiative. To liberate time. One day, he came round the students sleeping in there...
a people, all facets of multi- and found me trying to figure out there was some little tension.
technology must be articulated what to do, how to get this school I found out later that one local
simultaneously, because running. He asked me what I was doctor had made arrangements to
technology is inter-related and it working on. I explained what I host all my students in his house
is inter-dependent. For a people wanted to do. He said, “Nobody will for dinner, where he told them you
to change, all those facets of give you such a license.” I asked are being taught by a witch doctor.
technology must be articulated as him why and he told me that there He asked them, “Where will this
one, because they complement was no provision for it. I asked his training get you people? This
one another: Agriculture- people advice, explaining that this was man is a witch!”The following day,
are sick because they don’t eat what I wanted to do in my lifetime. they were very unruly and started
right, so nutrition comes in. Other He said that I would have to write making funny demands. I was
people are sick because they don’t about it to the Head of State. He in Nakuru when my wife called
have the right shelter, other people told me to write that letter and give me and told me that they were
are sick because of the lifestyle.” I it to him. I did. Within two weeks threatening to burn the place and

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM 31