Ethnobotanical survey of the medicinal plants used in Kakamega County, western Kenya

Abstract

Aim: This study was carried out to identify the medicinal plants used by the Luhya community in Kakamega County and promote the preservation of this traditional knowledge. Methods: An ethnobotanical study was carried out between March 2016 and April 2016. Information from the 26 participants was obtained through face-to-face interviews, field observations, and by the use of semi-structured questionnaires. A literature review was done to identify the previously reported traditional uses and pharmacological activities. The relative frequency of citation, use values, and fidelity level values of the reported medicinal plants were calculated.