Ugandan herbalist jailed 25 years for killing senior KNUN official
The murder took place between July 24 and July 27, 2019, in the Kimondi forest area of Nandi County, where Ongeri’s decomposed body was discovered near Kapsabet town by local herdsmen.
A Ugandan herbalist has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after the High Court in Eldoret found him guilty of murdering Ferdinand Ongeri, a senior official with the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN).
Presiding Judge Reuben Nyakundi ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, linking 52-year-old Mawanda Asuma to the killing of Ongeri, who was the deputy chairman of the union's Kisumu branch.
The murder took place between July 24 and July 27, 2019, in the Kimondi forest area of Nandi County, where Ongeri’s decomposed body was discovered near Kapsabet town by local herdsmen.
Ongeri, a 40-year-old nurse attached to the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT) dispensary in Kisumu, had gone missing shortly after successfully negotiating a promotion deal for nurses with the regional health department.
During the trial, Kiptuywa area Chief Emily Cherono testified that the body was found with deep cuts and bruises, especially around the stomach and mouth.
Despite denying the charges, Asuma was denied bail throughout the proceedings. The prosecution argued that he posed a flight risk due to his cross-border movements within Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda where he sold herbal medicine.
In his defence during the hearing in December 2024, Asuma said Ongeri was both a client and a close friend. He claimed he had been helping him manage obesity through herbal treatment and denied any role in his death.
Ongeri’s widow, Brossy Makimtingwa Ongeri—a fellow nurse and Ugandan citizen—recalled the pain of trying to reach her husband, only to be met with silence before finally receiving news of his death.
His mother, retired nurse Isabela Ongeri, told the court about their last phone conversation, during which her son had promised to visit her the following week—a visit he never made.
The verdict ends a high-profile case that sent shockwaves through Kenya’s nursing community and drew attention to the dangers faced by union officials working to secure better terms for healthcare workers.
