Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (SJHSS)
Volume-2 | Issue-07 | 497-503
Review Article
Discourse of Traditional Medicine Street Advertisement in Kisumu, Kenya
Yakub Adams, Damaris Gechemba Nyakoe, Benard Odoyo Okal
Published : July 25, 2017
Abstract
Information is a very important concept during an interaction between interlocutors within a particular health
communicative context. In matters concerning individuals' health and other emotive issues, subjective information of any
kind would provide sustaining knowledge to the seeker of knowledge. It is, therefore, of immense significance for people
to have access to credible information that would satisfy their questions, curiosity and emerging problems of wellness. In
Kenyan towns and villages, certain strategic street pathways are replete with Traditional Medicine advertisements by
herbalists and witchdoctors. As a vehicle for promoting social modernization, the impact of utilizing advertising to
promote trade in developing society remains a key subject. Although audiences are exposed to a number of
advertisements, advertising may deceive either by increasing a consumer's false belief or by exploiting true beliefs in the
ways designed to sell the product or offer services. This paper has interest in the discourse of advertisement of traditional
medicine. Health issues have always been an important and emotive phenomenon in the lives of humans. Being in good
health and able to go about one’s business without ill-health is a desire longed for by everyone. Hence, people become
very much interested in matters touching on their health and the inherent rhetoric accompanying the offered ‘solutions’ as
a means of persuasion. Are herbal medicine practitioners’ genuinely reaching out to fill the void possibly left out by
modern medicine? Are these practitioners ably ‘treating’ all the ‘illnesses’ they advertise? These questions form the
discourse matters sought in this paper.