Ugandan Herbalist Sentenced to 25 Years for Killing Kenyan Nurse

A Ugandan herbalist, Mawanda Asuma, 52, has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by the High Court in Eldoret for the 2019 murder of Ferdinand Ongeri, the deputy chairman of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Kisumu branch. 

The verdict, delivered by Judge Reuben Nyakundi, concludes a protracted legal battle that has exposed complex issues of trust, professional vulnerability, and the intersection of traditional medicine and formal healthcare in East Africa. Ongeri, aged 40 at the time of his death, was affiliated with the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology dispensary in Kisumu County. 

His body was discovered in Kimondi Forest, Nandi County, displaying signs of extensive physical trauma, shortly after he successfully negotiated improved terms for nurses he represented. Local herders alerted authorities to the discovery. The prosecution successfully argued that Asuma was culpable in Ongeri's death "beyond reasonable doubt." 

Throughout the trial, Asuma maintained his innocence, claiming he considered Ongeri both a patient and a close friend, stating he provided herbal remedies for obesity-related complications. This was disputed by the prosecution who asserted the relationship may have been fraught with tensions, given Asuma's extensive regional operations involving traditional medicine across East Africa. 

The herbalist operated businesses in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, which raised concerns about his mobility and potential as a flight risk, leading to a denial of bail early in the proceedings. Testimony from government officials, including Kiptuywa area chief Emily Cherono, revealed harrowing details about the state of Ongeri's body. 

Cherono described bruises and deep cuts on the mouth and abdomen, indicating a violent death accompanied by significant suffering. The emotional impact of Ongeri's murder reverberated throughout the trial. His widow, Brossy Makimtingwa Ongeri, who is also a nurse and Ugandan national, testified about her frantic attempts to contact her husband after his disappearance, before discovering news of his death and the discovery of his remains. 

Ongeri's mother, retired nurse Isabela Ongeri, recounted their last conversation, where he promised to visit her the week following his disappearance. While the motive for the murder remains unclear, the timing of Ongeri's death, immediately following his success in securing promotions for nurses, has fueled speculation within union circles. Asuma will serve his sentence in a Kenyan prison.