Renowned traditional herbalist Sophia Namutebi, popularly known as Maama Fiina has threatened Parliamentarians who will vote in favor of the Traditional and Complementary Bill 2015 that they will lose office.
While speaking on a local TV station Maama Fiina said traditional herbalists are not like artistes, as she promised to use her ‘powers’ to prevent Parliamentarians who will vote in favor of the bill to not return to Parliament in 2021.
Maama Fiina claims that having traditional healing powers is a gift that doesn’t require regulations; she alleged that the bill has clauses that make their work almost impossible.
However, she acknowledges that there are a lot of fake herbalists that need to be weeded out, but government should leave that responsibility to the National Council for Traditional Healers and Herbalist Association (Nacotha)
Nacotha is ‘a body that monitors herbalists’.
The Traditional and Complementary Bill was bought to Parliament for the 2nd reading on Tuesday, January 5, and Parliamentarians agreed that this Bill will help in reducing fake herbalists and also reduce on the importation of some medicines from abroad.
The bill has clauses that include, all traditional herbalists must be registered by the government, herbalists should have a certified certificate of operation issued by Government. They will also not be allowed to advertise their practice except where the contents of their adverts have been authenticated and authorized by government.
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