Revealed: Mediheal Hospital Forced Kenyan ‘Organ Donors’ to Adopt Somali Names Before Removing Their Kidneys

As Kenyans grapple with one of the biggest scandals in Kenya’s healthcare history, more damning evidence continues to surface about Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret.

New investigative findings reveal that the hospital allegedly forced hundreds of Kenyan kidney donors to adopt Somali identities before harvesting their organs—effectively turning them into fugitives in their own country.

According to Dr. Darwin Ambuka, a medical law expert and deputy vice chair of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacist & Dentist Union (KMPDU) North Rift branch, Mediheal Hospital has allegedly manipulated medical records and exploited vulnerable donors through questionable consent procedures.

“If you look at those official forms Mediheal generated and has been using, ‘organ donors’ seem to have become fugitives in their own country after they were made to adopt Somali names,” Dr. Ambuka told a local newspaper after reviewing 80 pages of internal medical records, forms, and affidavits.

“A fugitive cannot sign a form that is legally binding, their families are not even aware they are donating organs yet we all know that in organ donation, consent extends to family,” he added.

The investigation found that Mediheal had allegedly turned at least 372 Kenyans into unwitting participants in what appears to be an elaborate organ trafficking scheme.

Government Action

Last week, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale ordered the immediate suspension of all kidney transplant services at Mediheal Hospital pending further investigation into “serious allegations of malpractice and ethical violations” related to transplant procedures.

President Ruto has also suspended Dr. Swarup Mishra, the chair of Mediheal, from his position as BioVax chair to allow for an unimpeded investigation into the organ trade allegations.

Legal Loopholes Exploited

The investigation revealed that a lack of clear legislative framework has allowed the alleged organ trafficking to thrive.

Kenya’s Health Act 2017 provides only broad guidelines for organ transplantation, with critical regulatory gaps that unscrupulous operators have allegedly exploited.

“In this country, we import corneas from India yet we don’t know the circumstances of obtaining these corneas because we don’t have a regulatory framework. Parliament has never addressed this issue and whenever a problem arises, they only do firefighting,” Dr. Ambuka explained.

Several key regulatory failures have enabled the alleged scheme:

– The Health Ministry has failed to establish regulations as stipulated in the 2017 Act
– There is no national body or ethical committee to vet transplant applications
– Current regulations focus on licensing facilities rather than protecting the transplantation process
– No coordinated oversight between the multiple regulatory bodies involved

Hospital Defense

Swarup Mishra.

Dr. Mishra has vehemently denied the allegations, stating, “We at Mediheal have not done any selection of any donor and have not paid them for a kidney.”

He further claimed that the hospital is “waiting for the government to develop a legal framework that will aid us do proper donor selection and the health ministry is currently working on it.”

According to Dr. Mishra, “Foreign recipients come here after being given Visas by their government and permits by the Kenyan government, it has nothing to do with Dr. Mishra.”

Identity Manipulation

What makes this case particularly troubling is the alleged systematic manipulation of donor identities. By reportedly forcing Kenyan donors to adopt Somali names and identities on official paperwork, Mediheal may have been attempting to obscure the true nature of these transactions.

“They misused those forms as an escapist tool which is illegal,” Dr. Ambuka noted.

The KMPDU has learned of individuals “descending on villages in the area to hunt for organ donors,” suggesting an organized network targeting vulnerable populations.

As the investigation continues, questions remain about how many people may have been affected and whether other medical facilities might be involved in similar practices. For now, the Health Ministry’s suspension of kidney transplant services at Mediheal remains in effect as authorities work to unravel the full extent of the alleged organ trafficking operation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​