Western Christian interpretation of African traditional medicine: a case study of Akamba herbal medicine

Abstract

Akamba traditional medicine, like the rest of African culture, has been grossly misinterpreted by the western missionaries. African traditional medicine and African culture are, of course, inter-related. The Western missionaries did not recognize African Traditional Religion (ATR) as a religion of equal status with Christianity. African herbal medicine, including that of the Akamba, was also condemned as evil. Thus ATR and herbal medicine were regarded as pertaining to the Devil. That is the crux of this research, using library consultation and field research. It was discovered that despite the demonization of the Akamba medicine by the Christian missionaries, it remains very popular and consumed by many people in Kenya.

Keywords: Herbal medicine, medicine- man, Akamba, African Traditional Religion, Western Christian Missionaries