North Rift Herbalists Partner University to Study Cancer Treatment Drugs

North Rift Herbalists Partner Moi University

North Rift Herbalist Association has partnered with Moi University to conduct research on herbal medicine that could help in cancer treatment.

The union has urged members who claim to have herbal drugs capable of treating cancer to hand over samples for tests.

Speaking at the opening of North Rift Herbalist Association office at Cheptongei centre in Elgeyo-Marakwet, their chairman Julius Kiprono said there are more than 200 traditional doctors who have a herbs collection that can be used to carry out the study. Kiprono said the union has signed memorandum of understanding with University of Eldoret for a joint study of their drugs. The group had initially partnered with Masinde Muliro University which referred the group to the University of Eldoret after the opening of a school of botany.

Dr Shadrack Moimett of Koibatek herbal clinic said herbalists play a critical role in treating patients.Moimett said many patients turn to herbs for the treatment of lifestyle disease that have become common due to poor dietary habits.

The move comes few weeks after the University of Eldoret and North Rift Herbalist Association held a meeting to lay out strategies that will benefit the two institutions.

They appealed to Uasin-Gishu Governor to take stern action against officials in cultural department in Uasin-Gishu in that they keep on demanding bribes from every member.

North Rift Herbalist Association is a formation of herbalist experts that offer medicinal herbs , and every member in a group is a traditional doctor that have long experience in herbal medicine.

Joseph Chemweno, an official with the association claimed they have plenty of herbs that cure many disease and they will cooperate with Kenya Forest Service so as to protect medicinal plants and the entire trees.

" We will co-operate with Kenya Forest Service to make sure that nobody can access the forest to cut down trees or get the medicine without our conscience" Chemweno said.