A legal battle is looming between the government and two members of the Ministry of Repentance and Holiness over disputed HIV test results.
Milicent Awino and Peter Oyan, both followers of self-proclaimed prophet David Owuor, have threatened to file a class action suit against the Ministry of Health, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the Ministry of Interior, and the Attorney General.
The two claim they were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at government health facilities but later tested negative, which they attribute to miraculous healing following prayers led by Owuor.
According to Awino, she initially underwent testing at Ulungu Dispensary, where the results returned positive. She was subsequently placed on antiretroviral (ARV) medication.
She told the court that after participating in a prayer session aired on live television, she believed she had been miraculously healed.
To confirm her status, Awino sought a second test at a sub-county hospital, where the results came back negative. She said subsequent tests at different facilities consistently returned negative results, prompting her to discontinue medication.
Her claims are supported by Oyan, who alleged that he tested positive for HIV in 2012 and remained on treatment until May 2014.
Oyan stated that he was healed during a gospel rally held in Menengai. He added that he later disclosed his status to a presiding bishop, who advised him to undergo further testing.
He told the court that multiple follow-up tests confirmed that his HIV status had changed.
The two now demand that KEMRI retract, within 14 days, a statement dated April 20, 2026, disputing that they were ever tested at the facilities they cited.
They are also seeking clarification from the Ministry of Health on whether the public should rely on the scientific HIV/AIDS testing system or whether its credibility has been compromised.
The matter is expected to raise critical legal and scientific questions on the reliability of medical testing and the place of faith-based claims in public health policy.
