For twenty years, Dr. David Owuor has been a polarizing figure in the Kenyan landscape. To his followers in the Ministry of Repentance and Holiness, he is the “Mightiest Prophet,” a man who can supposedly command the rain and “delete” terminal illnesses with a word. To the skeptics, he is a master of the long con.
But a new investigation by TV47, titled “Divine or Deceptive,” has moved the conversation from theological debate into the realm of criminal evidence. Through a series of hospital visits and records checks, the report uncovers a pattern of document tampering and fabricated medical histories used to sustain the Prophet’s “miracle” industry.
The Smoke and Mirrors of Nakuru
The controversy peaked during the New Year’s crossover crusade in Nakuru. On a stage crowded with white-coated doctors and flashing “government documents,” Owuor announced a medical impossibility: several patients were now HIV-negative.
“The blood of Jesus has expunged the virus,” he declared to a roaring crowd. But when the investigative team followed the paper trail back to the source, the “miracles” began to look more like desktop publishing.
A Paper Trail of Forgery
The investigation focused on Peter Oani, a primary witness for the ministry. Oani claimed he was diagnosed at Rumuruti District Hospital in 2012 and healed in 2013. However, when investigators cross-referenced his patient number, they hit a wall.
“The records don’t lie,” said an administrator at the hospital. Oani’s Comprehensive Care Centre (CCC) number didn’t belong to him at all—it belonged to a woman in Laikipia. Furthermore, the hospital had no record of Oani ever being a patient.
A close look at the cards Oani presented showed physical red flags. The digits had been physically rubbed out and rewritten, a clumsy attempt to link his name to someone else’s medical history.
The Deadly Cost of Abandoning Medicine
While Owuor’s stage show relies on those who claim to be healed, the documentary gives voice to those who weren’t. Mary Jero, a mother who once had unwavering faith in the church, tells a story that ends in a graveyard.
Believing the “miracle” reports, Jero took her daughter to the crusade and eventually stopped her medical treatment. “They tell you that if you have faith, the medicine isn’t needed,” she said. Her daughter’s health plummeted, and she eventually died—a stark reminder that while faith can be a comfort, it is a poor substitute for ARV therapy.
The State Strikes Back
The medical community is now in damage control. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has ordered a probe into the doctors who appeared on Owuor’s stage. In Kenya, verifying a miracle isn’t just a religious act; for a doctor, it’s a professional one.
“If a licensed practitioner stands in a crusade and speaks about miraculous healing they cannot verify scientifically, we will cancel their license,” Duale warned.
The “Planet Prophet” Stands His Ground
Owuor, for his part, remains unshaken. In an interview, he dismissed the investigation as a “negative thing” meant to counteract the massive healing service in Nakuru. He claims his own verification system—using labs like Lancet International—is “much tighter than the government’s.”
“Globally, there is no prophet at all on the earth except the one talking to you now,” Owuor stated, underscoring the absolute authority he demands from his followers.
The Verdict
As the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council (KMPDC) prepares its final report, the nation is left to wonder. The TV47 investigation suggests that Owuor’s greatest miracle isn’t healing the sick, but rather the ability to keep a massive following even when the medical records show a different story.
For the families of the deceased, the truth has come too late. For the thousands still flocking to the crusades, the question remains: are they following a prophet, or a producer of high-stakes theater?
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