Internationally celebrated author David Maillu on Saturday, August 5, stirred controversy by calling for an end to the demonising of indigenous knowledge and practices that are sometimes generally referred to as “witchcraft”.
In a public lecture he held at his Mathemboni home in Makueni County, Dr Maillu acknowledged that while witchcraft is complicated, it consists of both harmful and valuable elements which should be promoted.
“Witchcraft is hidden knowledge which should be unbundled,” Dr Maillu said in the two-hour lecture. “The aspects of witchcraft which lead to harming people should be discarded.”
The scholar cited cases where such practices had been successful in controlling things like locust invasion.
He, however, lamented that over the years, modern lifestyles had contributed to the loss of such valuable aspects of witchcraft, including traditional medicine, after it was dismissed as superstitious and pushed to the periphery.
“The world is currently struggling to fight locusts which destroy crops. There are people who know how to divert locusts using a particular traditional method which they have kept to themselves. We should strive to know what stuff they use to fight locusts,” he said.
Dr Maillu, who has more than 80 books to his name, describes himself as the president of African spiritualism. The lecture was preceded by a guided tour around his homestead, which is dotted with assorted medicinal herbs and larger-than-life statues that he has made using concrete.
They include a statue of former United States president Donald Trump and that of the legendary Kamba seer, Syokimau.
He said he had organised the lecture on witchcraft to stimulate discussion on the subject and to eventually promote its valuable aspects.
He called on scientists to develop a keen interest in witchcraft with a view to understand its workings and unlock its potential in addressing some of the common problems in the society.
“It should go without single doubt the importance of making thorough research regarding the immense hidden secrets of African spiritualism and biochemistry. The findings of the research will be invaluable for the modern generation. It is of African heritage. It is the history of the Black man’s utility of this subject commonly referred to as witchcraft which should revolutionise the medical world,” the 84-year-old told his audience.
The audience included senior Machakos and Makueni county government officials, scholars, pastors, scientists and cultural enthusiasts. They termed the talk on the subject spoken in hushed tones as eye-opening.
“As scientists, we should collaborate with those in the witchcraft ecosystem to understand their magic as a way of promoting its commercialisation. We should start documenting and sharing our experiences with witchcraft,” said Sylvester Anamo, a biotechnology lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology.
Makueni Trade and Tourism Executive Peter Mumo lauded Dr Maillu for actively promoting the promotion of indigenous knowledge, which he said holds a huge economic potential. He pledged the commitment of the county government in supporting Dr Mailu’s cultural ideals.
Similarly, Machakos Public Participation Chief Officer Benedette Wavinya said Dr Maillu had gone a long way in demystifying the subject of witchcraft which is spoken about in hushed tones.
She acknowledged that indigenous knowledge plays an important role in development, arguing that the positive side of witchcraft should be actively promoted.
