The government has announced plans to revoke licenses and suspend doctors who took part in the Nakuru “prophetic healing” crusade.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, while speaking on Sunday, January 4 in Eldoret, noted that the ministry had already directed the KMPDC to investigate the medical professionals who publicly testified that patients who were infected with HIV/AIDS had been healed during the crusade.
Duale said that the professionals needed to scientifically prove their claims, noting that failure to do so, they would be seriously disciplined and that included suspension or revocation of their licenses for what the CS termed as professional misconduct and violation of medical ethics.
“Any claims of miraculous healing, and more so by licensed medical practitioners, must be supported by verifiable and scientifically proven. If they cannot verify scientifically, we will be forced to cancel their licences,” Duale stated.
Duale noted that even though the ministry recognises and respects the importance of faith and spiritual nourishment to Kenyans, he said matters of health and life must be firmly grounded in the ethics and science-based medicine.
He added that the ministry would not tolerate the misuse of medical authority to mislead the public and endanger patients or undermine trust in the healthcare system.
The CS's remarks followed KMPDC’s warning to the public over the faith healing claims, terming them unverified and potentially harmful to public health.
At the said crusade, the “prophet,” who is also a licensed medical professional in the country, claimed that he had miraculously healed those infected with HIV/AIDS and also the blind and crippled, claims that have since caused controversy in the country.
Political leaders have urged relevant authorities to investigate religious groups that exhibit cult-like tendencies in efforts to prevent tragedies like that of the Shakahola incident experienced in 2023.
KMPDC has now been directed to do a thorough investigation on the practitioners, even as the prophet and his ministry welcome the investigations, urging the ministry that upon completion of investigations and verifications, the findings be published without any delay.
The council warns that only verified documentation should support chronic and life-threatening diagnoses, cautioning that unverified claims by health professionals may mislead vulnerable patients.
The church maintained that the healings were true, adding that a total of over 30 patients had already been fully healed of HIV, cases that have been fully documented, scientifically verified and tested.
“The public deserves to know the truth so that the fear of god may be restored at the pulpit,” the prophet stated.
