Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has sounded the alarm over suspected organ trafficking at Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret, following an investigation triggered by international concerns.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Duale revealed that the Ministry of Health had received a letter from the Transplantation Society in July 2023, raising red flags over a surge in Israeli nationals receiving kidney transplants in Kenya.
The society cited signs of an organized syndicate exploiting Kenya’s weak regulatory environment.
A multidisciplinary team was dispatched to Mediheal between December 5th and 8th, 2023. Their findings paint a troubling picture.
While the hospital had conducted over 370 kidney transplants—with patients from across East Africa and beyond—investigators discovered glaring ethical and procedural violations.
These included unclear donor-recipient relationships, unauthorized export of human samples to India, and a lack of translated consent forms for non-English speakers.
Some transplants involved high-risk patients, including one with prostate cancer, and surgeries were conducted despite poor compatibility.
The facility also lacked proper clinical oversight, including no regular morbidity and mortality reporting, and no functioning multidisciplinary ethics committee.
CS Duale has called for urgent reforms, including national transplant guidelines, stronger laws to curb organ trafficking, and mandatory ethics reviews for all transplants.
Mediheal has not yet responded to the allegations.
With Kenya’s reputation as a regional medical hub at stake, the Ministry’s findings have sparked public outrage and demands for accountability.
Health professionals warn that unless tighter regulations are enforced, Kenya could become a haven for transplant tourism and unethical organ trade.
