Abstract
The domination of “colonization shadow” may have reduced the manifestation of young indigenous technologies and innovations that with minimal value addition could help local communities overcome many challenges. Rediscovery of these technologies can bring about wealth and well-being to the local people who are also the inventors. Some of these technologies have either been suppressed or picked up by colonizers to the disadvantage of local inventors. This chapter discusses the useful, locally found technological resources that have not helped local communities but sometimes fetch millions of dollars elsewhere. This knowledge is expected to bring about rediscovery and decolonization so as to use the technologies to improve local lives. In this aspect decolonization is necessary in many sectors of the economy such as medicine which failed to take off from herbal- to industrial-based pharmaceutics. For instance, Kenya is the home of over 1100 species, many have medicinal value. While such herds are condemned at “home” as illegal herbal concoctions, they are glorified in other countries as medicine and food supplements. Today, many Kenyans import such medicine and food supplements at unaffordable prices as disease continues to bite. The conclusion is that there are a number of unexploited indigenous technologies and wealth that have remained dormant due to colonized minds and with little decolonization they can earn wealth that can increase wellness and improve livelihoods for the growing population in Kenya.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Affognon, D., Kingori, W. S., Omondi, A. I., Diiro, M. G., Muriithi, B. W., Makau, S., & Rainam, S. K. (2015). Adoption of Modern Beekeeping and Its Impact on Honey Production in the Former Mwingi District of Kenya: Assessment Using Theory-Based Impact Evaluation Approach. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 35(2), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1742758415000156.
Bashir, L., Oluwatosin, K. S., Adamu, Y. K., Ali, A. J., Maimuna, B. U., Eustace, B. B., & Blessing, U. A. (2015). Potential Antimalarials from African Natural Products: A Review Horn, ME, Woodard, SL. Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology, 4(4), 318–443. https://doi.org/10.5455/jice.20150928102856. www.jicep.com.
Bradley, S. R., Hayter, S., & Link, A. N. (2013). Models and Methods of University Technology Transfer Department of Economics (Working Paper Series). University of North Carolina, Greensboro, 13-10.
Christenhusz, M. J. M., & Byng, J. W. (2016). The Number of Known Plants Species in the World and Its Annual Increase. Phytotaxa, 261(3), 201–217. Magnolia Press.
Codd, A., Teuscher, F., Kyle, D. E., Cheng, Q., & Gatton, M. L. (2011). Artemisinin-Induced Parasite Dormancy: A Plausible Mechanism for Treatment Failure. Malaria Journal, 10, 56. Open Access. http://www.malariajournal.com/content/10/1/56.
Dery, B. B., Otsyina, R., & Ng’atigwa, C. (1999). Indigenous Knowledge of Medicinal Trees and Setting Priorities for Their Domestication in Shinyanga Region, Tanzania. Nairobi: ICRAF.
Dharani, N., Rukunga, G., Yenesew, A., Mbora, A., Mwaura, L., Dawson, I., & Jamnadass, R. (2010). Common Antimalarial Trees and Shrubs of East Africa, A, Description of Species and a Guide to Cultivation and Conservation Through Use (pp. 1–100). The World Agroforestry Centre. ISBN: 978-92-9059-238-9. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/B16781.pdf.
Farnsworth, R. N., Akerele, O., & Bingel, A. S. (1985). Medicinal Plants in Therapy. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 63, 965–981.
Horn, M. E., Howard, J. A., & Howard, J. A. (2004). Plant Molecular Farming: Systems and Products. Plant Cell Reports, 22, 711–720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-004-0767-1.
Kieti, M., & Coughlin, P. (1990). Musyimi the Hunter Kamba—Fables and Legends a Traditional Kamba Story, The Wisdom of Kamba Oral Literature. Nairobi: Phoenix Publishers.
Kokwaro, J. O. (2009). Medicinal Plants of East Africa (3rd ed.). Nairobi: University of Nairobi Press.
Komakech, R., Kang, Y., Lee, J. H., & Omuja, F. (2017). A Review of the Potential of Phytochemicals from Prunus africana (Hook f.) Kalkman Stem Bark for Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy of Prostate Cancer. Hindawi Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2017, Article ID. 3014019, 10 Pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3014019.
Kung’u, J. B., Kivyatu, B., & Mbugua, P. K. (2006). Some Medicinal Trees and Shrubs of Eastern Africa for Sustainable Utilization and Commercialization. In B. O. Awour, D. Kamoga, J. Kungu, & G. N. Njoroge (Eds.), Challenges to Utilization and Conservation of Medicinal Tree and Shrubs in Eastern Africa (pp. 13–25). http://www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/B14816.pdf.
Liu, N. Q., Van der Kooy, F., & Verpoorte, R. (2009). Artemisia afra: A Potential Flagship for African Medicinal Plants? South African Journal of Botany, 75, 185–195.
Maqbool, M. (2011). Mayapple: A Review of the Literature from a Horticultural Perspective. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 5(7), 1037–1045. http://www.academicjournals.org.
Marshall, N. T. (1998). Searching for a Cure; Conservation of Medicinal Wildlife Resource in East and Southern Africa (p. 12). Cambridge, UK: Traffic International.
Murphy, D. J. (1907). Improving Containment Strategies in Biopharming. Plant Biotechnology Journal (2007), 5, 555–569. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2007.00278.x, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2007.00278.x/epdf.
Sanjoy, K. P., & Yogeshwer, S. (2003). Herbal Medicine: Current Status and the Future Asian Pacific. Journal of Cancer Prevention, 4, 281–288.
Siegel, D. S., Waldman, D. A., Atwater, L. E., & Link, A. N. (2004). Toward a Model of the Effective Transfer of Scientific Knowledge from Academicians to Practitioners: Qualitative Evidence from the Commercialization of University Technologies. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 21(1–2), 115–142.
Singh, H. (2006). Prospects and Challenges for Harnessing Opportunities in Medicinal Plants Sector in India. Law, Environment and Development Journal, 2(2), 196, 198–210. http://www.lead-journal.org/content/06196.pdf.
Srivastava, V., Negi, A. S., Kumar, J. K., Gupta, M. M., & Khanuja, S. P. S. (2005). Plant-Based Anticancer Molecules: A Chemical and Biological Profile of Some Important Leads. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 13, 5892–5908. Elsevier.
Taylor, G. (2010). Indian Sandalwood Plantations in Australia. In Head of Plantations, Tropical Forestry Services Limited, Australian Forest Growers Conference 2010, Australia Forest Growers, 107–109.
Teel, W. (1985). Tree Seed Training and Extension Resources; A Pocket Directory of Trees and Seeds in Kenya (151 pp.). Illustrated by Terry Hirst. Kengo, Nairobi. http://agroforesttrees.cisat.jmu.edu/.
The Guardian. (2004, September 5). The Multi-Billion Bio-Piracy Law Suit Over Faded Jeans and African Lakes (Antony Barnett, Public Affairs Editor, Sunday). https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/sep/05/highereducation.science.
UNESCO. (1998). FIT/504-RAF48 Terminal Report: Promotion of Ethnobotany and the Sustainable Use of Plants Resources in Africa (p. 60). Paris: UNECSO.
WHO. (2003). Traditional Medicine (Fact Sheet No. 134) (Revised May 2003). WHO: Switzerland. http://apps.who.int/gb/archive/pdf_files/WHA56/ea5618.pdf.
WHO. (2009). Monograph on Selected Medicinal Plant Vol. 4, (p. 1–456). Salerno Paestum, Italy: WHO Consultancy of Selected Medicinal Plants. ISBN 9789241547055.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nthakanio, N.P., Kenya, E. (2018). Role of Latent Local Technologies and Innovations to Catapult Development in Kenya. In: Wane, N., Todd, K. (eds) Decolonial Pedagogy . Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01539-8_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01539-8_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-01538-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-01539-8
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)