A woman who claims to have been healed of HIV by prophet Owuor’s prayers has given KEMRI 14 days to retract their statement that she was never HIV positive.
Millicent Awino claims that her faith and prayers healed her of the infection after being diagnosed at a public facility in 2023.
Through lawyers Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta, Martina Swiga among others, Awino said that she presented herself at Ulungu dispensary, a government facility, on 14th September 2023 where she was tested and results came back HIV positive.
Awino allegedly had prolonged diarrhea lasting over a month and skin rashes, symptoms consistent with HIV infection.
A few days later, she was enrolled into care for initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), after confirmation of the positive test consistent with public health policy requiring prompt treatment following confirmed diagnosis.
Through lawyers Cliff Ombeta, Danstan Omari among others, Awino said that she was enrolled at Usigu Health Facility where repeat testing was conducted which confirmed yet again a positive result.
“As a result, our client was accordingly initiated on ART by the government facility and remained adherent strictly to the prescribed medication,” Omari said.
Awino struggled to come to terms with her status since her husband and children had tested negative for the infection.
The miracle prayer
It is alleged that on 30th December 2024, Awino followed a religious healing crusade on TV held in Menengai, Nakuru, which was televised and broadcast live on K24 television and through Jesus Is Lord Radio.
She had become aware of the event through mobilization campaigns conducted over approximately two months. During the broadcast, following the call to action of HIV+ patients by Prophet Owuor, whilst at her home she placed her HIV clinic card (commonly referred to as the “Yellow Card”) specifically; directly on the screen of the television and reported experiencing a sensation she associated with healing.
It is her assertion that the said prophet then directed those whose faith convict them of healing should go get re-tested.
She decided to go do the re-testing at a facility that did not know her and headed to Nyamonye, in Bondo, where she underwent testing and received a negative result of her HIV status.
Awino claims she subsequently undertook further tests at other facilities, all of which consistently returned negative results.
She then went back to where she was initially tested and commited to the ARTs. The medical personnel at these facilities expressed concern regarding the inconsistency between her prior confirmed positive diagnosis and the subsequent negative outcomes and she explained that through her faith, she was free from HIV.
She went ahead to testify in her church of the miracle that she had received despite a scientific initial confirmation of her positive status to the negative status.
Case review
Her case was reviewed by Usigu Hospital and on 18th December 2025, a follow-up viral load test indicated “Low than Detectable Levels” (LDL) effectively below 20 copies, six months after complete cessation of ART.
Ms. Awino’s Ministry of Health Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) card (MOH 258), the yellow card bearing a unique patient identifier, 1416405811, was reviewed and confirmed to be consistent. Records within the Taifa Care system were examined, and it was confirmed that she had been duly enrolled, monitored, and treated as an HIV+ patient within the national program. A joint national and county verification exercise at Usigu Health Facility confirmed that her treatment history was consistent and accurate.
Further testing was conducted under NASCOP supervision and on 15th January 2026, Ms. Awino was subjected to multiple tests on-site at KEMRI Kisumu, including rapid diagnostic testing, quantitative and qualitative DNA PCR, and ELISA testing. The results were not released, and she was recalled for repeat testing on the basis that the initial results were inconclusive.
A second sample was collected on 26th February 2026 at Bondo County Hospital and submitted to KEMRI Kisumu. No results issued. On 8th April 2026, she was summoned again to KEMRI Kisumu, ostensibly to receive her results.
However, instead of releasing the findings, further testing was conducted, on the 9th where she presented herself raising concerns as to procedural propriety, particularly given that KEMRI does not ordinarily undertake direct patient sample collection.
During this process, KEMRI contacted Ulungu Dispensary to verify her positive status, and the facility furnished documentary confirmation of her enrolment and treatment.
KEMRI has since authored a letter dated 20th April 2026 on the purpoted test status of our client, that there was no evidence of prior HIV infection despite being availed her medical records. This conclusion stands in direct contradiction to the scientific earlier diagnoses, documented treatment, and national health system records which our chent reliod on for the usage of the ARVs amongst millions of Kenyans who also rely on the system.
According to the lawyers, consideration is being given to the issuance of a formal demand for retraction of KEMRI’s findings, together with a public clarification to mitigate reputational and psychological harm.
Awino has given KEMRI 14 days to retract their conclusion vide the letter dated 20th April 2026.
“The ministry of health shall clarify whether our client and the general public ought to rely on their scientific system of HIV testing or whether the said has been compromised vis a vis public interest.”
Several other cases are haid to have been reported where people who had tested positive and put on drugs later turned to be negative.
So, was it spiritual healing or failed health system? Prayed and believed or substandard test kits? Either way, someone’s health/life was on the line.