USE AND CONSERVATION OF WILD MEDICINAL FOOD PLANTS IN LOITA, NAROK COUNTY KENYA KARIUKI, PERIS MWERU MSC. ENV SC (KU) BSC. ENV. SC (KU) A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN DRYLAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY (LARMAT) UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, KENYA DECEMBER 2018 DECLARATION This thesis on “Use and Conservation of Wild Medicinal Food Plants in Loita, Narok County, Kenya” is my original work and has not been presented for any research leading to a degree award in any other University. Signature ______________________________ Date ______________________ KARIUKI, PERIS MWERU (A74/80825/2010) Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi, Kenya APPROVAL “This Thesis has been Submitted with our Approval as University Supervisors”. Signature ______________________________ Date ______________________ Prof. JESSE THEURI NJOKA Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT), Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi, Kenya Signature ______________________________ Date ______________________ Dr. CATHERINE W. LUKHOBA School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi Signature ______________________________ Date ______________________ Dr. CECILIA M. ONYANGO Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi i UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI Plagiarism Declaration Form for Students Name of student: KARIUKI, PERIS MWERU Registration Number: A74/80825/2010 College: Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (CAVs) Faculty: Agriculture Department: Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology Course name: Doctor of Philosophy in Dry Land Resource Management Title of the work: “Use and conservation of wild medicinal food plants in Loita, Narok County” DECLARATION 1. I understand what plagiarism is and I am aware of the University’s policy in this regard 2. I declare that this thesis is my original work and has not been submitted elsewhere for examination, award of a degree or publication. Where other people’s work or my own has been used, this has properly been acknowledged and referenced in accordance with the University of Nairobi requirements 3. I have not sought or used the services of any professional agencies to produce this work 4. I have not allowed and shall not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his/her own work 5. I understand that any false claim in respect of this work shall result in disciplinary action in accordance with University Plagiarism Policy Signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________________________ ii DEDICATION In loving memory of my parents Charles Kariuki Waweru and Mary Wangari.Kariuki. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I want to acknowledge all those who in any way supported or contributed to the successful completion of this course. Above all I want to thank God for Grace that enabled me pursue this course. Special thanks go to my supervisors Prof. Jesse Njoka, Dr. CatherineLukhoba and Dr. Cecilia Onyango for their supervision and encouragement. I acknowledge guidance from Dr. Richard O. Nyankanga for supervising the thesis corrections. I thank the staff of LARMAT Department, Faculty of Agriculture and the Kabete Campus fraternity whom I consulted/interacted with during this course. Special thanks to National Museums of Kenya (NMK) management for granting me an opportunity to pursue my Doctor of Philosophy studies. I appreciate my colleagues at NMK for their encouragement and support. I acknowledge partial research support through “Research for Development” grant received from the Centre for Sustainable Dry Land Ecosystems and Societies (CSDES) University of Nairobi. I am grateful for the overwhelming support by the Loita Community giving me their friendship, time and specifically the Loita Council of Elders for granting me permission to undertake my study with the community and in the Sub County. I wish to thank my research assistants Silvester ole Mashati, Henry Siatabau, Saitoti ole Melonye and Duncan ole Sunkui for helping me collect data. Special thanks to my faithful field guides (elders) Mzee Ole Sunkui and the late Ole Koisa for their wise guidance. I also thank Mr. Mathias Mbale (E. A. Herbarium, NMK) for assisting in identification of plant specimens. My sincere gratitude to my late parents Charles Kariuki and Mary Wangari, my siblings and friends for their encouragement and moral support in special ways that made it possible to pursue this course. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ...............................................................................................................................I DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. II DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ V LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... IX LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... X LIST OF BOXES ............................................................................................................................ XI LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................ XII OPERATIONALIZATION OF WORDS ................................................................................. XIV ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... XV CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY........................................................................................................ 4 1.4 STUDY OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................. 5 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................. 6 2.1 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF WILD PLANTS ............................................................... 6 2.2 USE OF WILD MEDICINAL FOOD PLANTS ....................................................................................... 6 2.3 CONSERVATION OF WILD PLANTS ................................................................................................ 10 2.4 TRADE IN WILD PLANT SPECIES ................................................................................................... 15 2.5 SUSTAINABILITY OF USING WILD PLANT SPECIES..................................................................... 17 2.6 POLICIES ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ..................... 19 2.7 ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SELECTED WILD MEDICINAL FOOD PLANTS (WMFPS) . 22 2.8 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER THREE: STUDY AREA, MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................. 31 3.1 STUDY AREA ..................................................................................................................................... 31 3.1.1 Geographical location ....................................................................... 31 3.1.2 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................................ 33 3.1.3 Soils and vegetation of Loita Division ............................................... 33 3.1.4 Anthropological and cultural background ........................................ 39 3.1.5 Land tenure and land use .................................................................. 40 v 3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (MATERIALS AND METHODS) ...................................................... 41 3.2.1 Research design and sampling frame ................................................ 41 3.3 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES AND INSTRUMENTS .............................................................. 42 3.3.1 Secondary data .................................................................................. 42 3.3.2 Primary Data ..................................................................................... 42 3. 4 DATA ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................. 47 3.4.1 Thematic analysis .............................................................................