Kenya’s Parliament Launches Inquiry Into Kidney Transplant Scandal

By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

The National Assembly Health Committee in Kenya, has initiated an inquiry into the kidney transplant scandal at Mediheal Hospital located in Eldoret.

On Tuesday, the chair of the committee, James Nyikal, announced that the investigation aims to uncover the details surrounding the alleged malpractice, including any ethical violations.

Nyikal emphasized that the inquiry will also focus on potential criminal activities occurring at the hospital. “This committee will be assessing both the legal and ethical integrity of the transplant practices currently in operation at Mediheal,” he stated.

Additionally, the committee intends to investigate the involvement of foreign nationals and the issue of transplant tourism to determine their legality, as well as to identify systemic weaknesses that may allow such activities to occur.

The committee is expected to present its findings within 80 days. Mediheal Hospital is under scrutiny for allegedly taking kidneys from impoverished Kenyans, who are said to receive Ksh.294,000, and then selling those kidneys to international recipients for Ksh.3.2 million each.

This development follows a thorough fact-finding mission conducted by a multidisciplinary team appointed by the Ministry of Health, which raised alarming evidence of possible organ trafficking connected to foreign nationals.

The report highlighted a suspicious increase in kidney transplants involving Israeli nationals in Kenya, indicating the existence of a global syndicate that is circumventing local health regulations.

The investigative team, made up of transplant experts, ethicists, and representatives from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services, and the Ministry of Health, conducted an on-site audit from December 5 to 8, 2023.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale explained that the team’s task was to validate the claims, evaluate Mediheal’s transplant procedures, and issue definitive recommendations. They found that the hospital, a licensed private facility classified as level 5, had completed 372 kidney transplants over five years, primarily for patients from Kenya and the East African region, with others from countries as diverse as Israel, Australia, Japan, the USA, and the UK.

Despite Mediheal’s adoption of advanced surgical techniques, conducting 99% of surgeries laparoscopically and keeping consent records for sampled donors, investigators discovered troubling issues.

One major concern was inadequate verification of donor-recipient connections; the hospital failed to provide sufficient documentation that confirmed biological or relational links between donors and recipients, particularly in cases involving international pairings.

In light of these findings, CS Duale has suspended two senior officials from the Ministry: Dr. Maurice Wakwabubi, the acting head of the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services, and Dr. Everlyne Chege, who led the investigative team. This move aims to mitigate any potential conflicts of interest during the ongoing investigations.

Additionally, Dr. Martin Sirengo, a senior Deputy Director of Medical Services, has been appointed as the interim head of the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services.