KENYA: Muslim Woman Poisons Christian Neighbours

27 May 2025

Source: Assist News

Christian couple, Doreen Nairuba and her husband, Jackson Wampula, had been sharing their faith with Marriam, an 18-year-old Muslim neighbour, and had taken her to church on 15 March.

A Muslim neighbour reported this to Marriam’s mother, Hanifa Hamiyat, who became mad at them for inviting her daughter to visit their church during the month of Ramadan.

Around 7pm that evening, after Marriam had returned home from church, Hanifa prepared a poisoned meal and sent Marriam to give it to the Christian couple, the source said. During Ramadan it is common for area Muslims to share food with other families in the evening to break the daily fast.

“The daughter didn’t know that her mother had put some poison in the food,” a source said.

“At home, Marriam complained of stomach pain and was soon vomiting and wailing,” the source added.

The mother asked Marriam what the problem was, and why she was delayed in returning home after delivering the food. The girl answered that she shared in eating the food with Doreen’s family, and she was in deep pain. Upon hearing that, Hanifa shouted in a loud voice, “Allah Karim [Generous Allah], I have killed myself”, the source reported. Marriam was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died.

After about an hour, Doreen and her husband started suffering stomach pain and diarrhea and made an emergency call to another neighbour who took them to a hospital. Doreen died before reaching the hospital, and her husband died the next day at the hospital, the neighbour said. Doreen was six months pregnant.

Local leaders detained and questioned Hanifa, and she confessed to having poisoned the food, saying “I never intended to kill my daughter. My plan was to kill the neighbours because of taking my daughter to church during this holy month of Ramadan. Our imam had assured us that when you kill a kafir [infidel], Allah rewards one with a Jannah [paradise] called Firdausi, so I wanted to get that Jannah.”

EXPLORE THE GLOBAL PRAYER GUIDE

Learn about global persecution trends and what it means to follow Christ in restricted and hostile nations.

Learn more

Stay informed

Receive weekly emails with the latest prayer points from the persecuted church

    Pray for them

    Thank the Lord for the willing witness of Doreen and Jackson. Pray that God would use their deaths to draw His people into closer communion with Him and embolden their witness to others.

    Pray for persecuted Christians in Kenya, asking the Lord to strengthen and equip them to continue sharing the gospel amid such trials.

    Pray that God’s Word would continue to spread among the Muslim people in Kenya, that many more would come to know Christ as their Saviour.

    Recent News

    TAJIKISTAN: Persecuted for Discipling Children in Christ Read more
    PAKISTAN: Kidnapper Granted Custody of Christian Girl Read more
    CUBA: Exiled Pastor Refused Entry to Cuba Read more

    Submit a Prayer

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Join our community

    @vomaustralia @vomau