This archive report was first published on 9 September 2019.
Residents of Lamu East in Kenya are facing a crisis of low libido, which they blame on the ban on turtle meat imposed by the government.
The ban, which was introduced under the revised Wildlife Act, carries a fine of Sh1 million or two years' imprisonment for anyone found hunting wildlife such as turtles.
Locals claim that turtle meat has been a key ingredient in their traditional aphrodisiacs, including supu ya pweza (octopus soup), and that its absence has led to a decline in marriages.
Residents are now calling on the government to lift the ban and allow them to hunt and eat turtles, citing their medicinal value and the negative impact the ban has had on their health.
According to Kazungu, a local resident, 'Our health has negatively been impacted by the ban after it was imposed a while back and we want it lifted.'
However, Mike Olendo, a local wildlife officer, remains adamant that the ban is necessary to protect turtle populations, which are dwindling due to various reasons, including misleading beliefs about their nutritional value.
As Kai, a local fisherman, puts it, 'Some marriages now hang in the balance, now that men no longer have access to the tried and tested libido booster.'
