Move over, Nairobi-based traditional healers, there’s a new doctor in town! His name is Dr. Eturu and he’s come all the way from West Africa to heal all of Nairobi’s problems. I was walking down Rhapta Road to Westlands with Cassandra and Sammy today, and I cracked up when I saw this guy’s advertisement—specifically that he is from West Africa. It’s not uncommon to see “doctors” from Mombasa or Tanzania, but this was definitely a first.
From what I know about traditional healing, it’s all about where you come from. For some reason the Swahili people have a reputation for being more gifted healers than people from anywhere else in East Africa (except the Kamba people of Kenya, who are also known to have a strong link to the world of witchcraft). Now, I always knew Nigeria had a burgeoning film industry (“Nollywood”), but this is the first I’ve heard of their traditional healing prowess!