A woman has moved to court, challenging conflicting HIV test results that saw her initially diagnosed and treated as HIV-positive, only for later findings to indicate she may never have been infected.
Millicent Awino, through her lawyers Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta and Martina Swiga, is raising concerns over what she terms as serious inconsistencies within the country’s HIV testing and diagnostic systems, placing key public health institutions under scrutiny.
According to documents filed on her behalf, Awino first presented herself at Ulungu Dispensary in September 2023 with symptoms consistent with HIV infection. She was tested and reportedly received a positive result, after which she was traced, enrolled into care, and initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in line with national protocols.
She later underwent repeat testing at another government facility, which also returned a positive result, leading to her continued treatment under the national programme and issuance of a Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) card.
However, the case took a dramatic turn in December 2024 after Awino followed a televised religious crusade associated with David Owuor.
According to Awino, she was watching the sermon on television when the preacher called on believers suffering from various illnesses to touch their screens in faith and believe they were healed.
She subsequently sought fresh testing at independent facilities, where results reportedly returned HIV-negative.Additional tests conducted at multiple centres are also said to have consistently indicated a negative status.
The conflicting outcomes prompted concern among medical professionals, leading to a multidisciplinary review of her case in 2025. A follow-up viral load test later reportedly indicated levels below detectable limits months after she had stopped taking ART.
The matter was escalated to national health authorities, including the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), which authorised comprehensive investigations.
Records reviewed reportedly confirmed that Awino had been enrolled, monitored, and treated as an HIV-positive patient within the national system.
Further testing was conducted under the supervision of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in 2026, including advanced diagnostic procedures.
However, results from multiple tests were either inconclusive or not released, with repeat samples requested.
In April 2026, KEMRI reportedly issued a letter stating there was no evidence of prior HIV infection, a position that sharply contradicts her earlier diagnosis, treatment history, and national health records.
Her lawyers argue that the contradiction raises fundamental questions about whether proper diagnostic protocols were followed and whether the integrity of the national HIV testing framework has been compromised.
Under guidelines by the Ministry of Health Kenya, HIV diagnosis follows a strict testing algorithm requiring both screening and confirmatory tests before a patient is enrolled into treatment programmes.
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