Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called for a comprehensive investigation into organ transplant practices in Kenya amid rising allegations of organ trafficking.
Speaking after receiving a report from a multidisciplinary task force, Duale said the findings point to serious regulatory breaches and cast doubt on the integrity of the country’s transplant system.
“There is credible evidence to warrant a full investigation. We have cases of donors and recipients coming from countries with advanced health systems to access Kenya’s relatively new transplant program—yet the reasons remain unclear,” Duale said.
The task force, which included kidney specialists, ethicists, Ministry of Health officials, academic experts, and representatives from medical unions, focused on Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret.
The team found that the hospital lacked adequate documentation to verify donor-recipient relationships, with some donors being foreign nationals.
Additionally, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) testing was done in India without the Ministry’s approval to export human samples.
The report also flagged the lack of translated consent documents for non-English-speaking patients and transplants performed on high-risk individuals, including prostate cancer patients and poorly matched donor-recipient pairs.
“Foreign nationals seeking transplants here must be listed in a centralized registry and provide certified documents proving their relationship to the donor from their home country,” Duale emphasized.
In response, the Ministry of Health will audit Mediheal and seven other transplant facilities nationwide to ensure compliance with existing standards.
Duale also revealed that new National Standards and Guidelines for Transplant Services have been developed and are awaiting approval. The ministry is additionally drafting legislation to close legal loopholes that may allow organ trafficking and transplant tourism.
“This new framework will help regulate the sector and protect against illegal transplants,” he said.
The probe follows a warning issued last year by the Transplantation Society, which raised concern over a spike in kidney transplants involving Israeli nationals in Kenya—many allegedly involving trafficked donors and linked to procedures at Mediheal Hospital.
