Khat

Borana (chati), Embu (miraa), English (Arabian tea), Kamba (miungi), Somali (qat), Teso (emairungi)

Description

An evergreen shrub or large tree to 25 cm with a dense crown. Trunk to 1m in diameter.

Bark: Grey-green or pale greyish brown and young shoots green to red.

Leaves: Up to 12 cm long , narrowly elliptic with serrate margins, opposite, alternate on coppice shoots. Young leaves crimson brown, glossy, becoming yellow-green and leathery with age.

Flowers: small, white to creamy yellow in axillary cymes.

Fruits:A red-to-dark-brown, oblong, pendulous 3-valved capsule, up to 1 cm long. Seeds reddish brown with a small brown papery wing at the base.

Its found in many parts of Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa.In Kenya, found e.g. in the Nyambene mountains, Kyulu hills, south west Mau forest,Mt. Kenya, Mt. Elgon.Cultivated in Nyambene and Meru. In the wild it is found in moist montane forests, evergreen forests and their margins, dry Olea and Juniperus forests, riverine forests and in the thickets.

Uses

Stimulant: Bark from fresh young shoots is peeled off and chewed as a stimulant, mainly by somali and Meru and in towns (popular with long-distance heavy truck drivers as it is said to keep them awake).

As one chews a lump of Khat (somali: taskin) is gathered on one side of the mouth. Khat is usually chewed along with soft drinks, black spiced tea or chewing gum. The leaves are reportedly used to make a beverage like tea - called Abyssinia or Somali tea.

Dried leaves may be smoked like tobacco. An important plant during wedding ceremonies (Boran, Somali)

Medicinal

Roots and bark boiled in tea or soup as a remedy to gonorrhea (Kipsigis, Maasai).

Cultural/Beliefs

Khat, tobacco and coffee taken as a gift to the girl's home during the first visit of the boy's parents as a sign of friendship between the two families (Boran).Said to form part of the bride price in marriage among people of Nyambene.

Plant used in wedding ceremonies among the Boran and Somali.

Commercial

Young shoots are sold in urban centres, especially to the Somali community. The khat trade is a flourishing multi-million shilling business in Kenya.

Loads of it are harvested from the Nyambene Highlands and air freighted (mainly by chartered aircraft) from Nairobi to Somalia.

It's also exported to the Middle East and finds its way to Somali nationals in many parts of the world. Shoots are bound into small bundles which turn in turn are wrapped in banana leaves to protect the twigs from withering.

In this condition khat can last for up to a week. In Kenya the banana leaves are hung outside kiosks to indicate the presence of khat vendors. Despite its wide occurrence in Kenya, khat obtained from Nyambene District is of superior quality.

The Kangeta type with reddish purple bark is best and is often exported. Muringene and Maua types are poorer quality and are often mixed with the Kangeta type to increase their value. Up to 6 types have been reported in Ethiopia.

Management

Planting may be done vegetatively through cuttings. Twigs harvested for chewing are mainly obtained from coppiced plants.

Remarks

Catha edulis, the only member of its genus, is an important drug plant in Eastern Africa. Khat chewing is usually provided to important visitors by the bride during wedding ceremonies.

It's said to produce wakefulness and mental alertness by stimulating effect on the nervous system. Thus it is used in situations requiring concentration.

The health, social and economic costs of it however, outweigh the advantages. It induces thirst making the user buy a lot of soft drinks.

Khat is corrosive to the whole mouth wall. Chewing gum has recently gained popularity as it soothes the mouth besides absorbing stray khat particles. It often causes constipation among chewers. It suppresses appetite & when used for long periods, the alertness induced may lead to extreme fatigue and even stupor.

Excess use of khat may induce symptoms of hallucination, intoxication or poisoning and in extreme cases insanity. Despite its short energy-boosting effect, prolonged use has been reported to cause emaciation and impotence.

Khat chewing is addictive and may often impose a financial strain in the individual or family. Non-users view it as generally unhealthy and there have been ban attempts to curb its consumption in Kenya & some Islamic countries.

A majority of khat users are found in the Islamic community.