Mediheal Calls Organ Trafficking Claims 'Attack On Kenya's Medical System'
The facility, on Wednesday, April 23, denied any wrongdoing regarding its kidney transplant procedures
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Mediheal Group of Hospitals has lamented that an investigative exposé linking the facility to an illegal organ trafficking ring was a means of attacking Kenya's whole medical system.
The facility, on Wednesday, April 23, denied any wrongdoing regarding its kidney transplant procedures, with the owners challenging anyone with genuine accounts of their organs being harvested to come to them with evidence.
Speaking to the media, the hospital’s legal team emphasised that every procedure was performed legally and ethically by qualified, licensed professionals. “For someone out there to say there is a hospital selling organs, they are attacking the entire medical system in this country," one of the hospital's lawyers said.
The hospital also claimed it has a 98 percent success rate for its kidney transplants, rejecting accusations of involvement in human organ trafficking. Led by lawyer Katwa Kigen, the legal team, however, stated that Mediheal is fully prepared to cooperate with government bodies investigating the claims.
File image of the Mediheal Hospital Eldoret Town Clinic. /CITIZEN DIGITAL
“We are not involved in the trafficking of human organs. We are not in any syndicate, and we will cooperate with security agencies, parliamentary committees, the Ministry of Health, and any other institution looking into the matter,” he stated.
Kigen affirmed that Mediheal is open to responding to inquiries and sharing relevant details with authorities investigating the issue, underlining that Mediheal began performing kidney transplants in November 2018 after receiving approval and licensing from the Ministry of Health.
According to Kigen, the hospital has carried out 476 kidney transplants so far—371 for Kenyan patients and 105 for international ones. Those foreign patients came from countries including Israel, Germany, the U.S., Burundi, the DRC, Somalia, and others.
“Of the 476, we have had less than two per cent mortality, and they all relate to recipients of the organs. We have had zero mortality relating to those who donated the organs,” he added.
It is with this proof that the hospital's lawyers argued that external forces, likely competitors, were determined to undermine them, supposedly due to the success they’ve achieved in recent years.
The hospital came under intense international scrutiny following a joint investigation by Deutsche Welle, German broadcaster ZDF, and Der Spiegel, which exposed Kenya as a key player in a global organ trafficking ring.
The exposé named Mediheal as the facility where the illegal transplants were allegedly being carried out. According to the investigation, recipients were paying up to $200,000 (approximately Ksh25.9 million) for kidney transplants, with the network stretching from the Eldoret-based hospital to a shadowy agency in Germany that preyed on vulnerable individuals on both ends of the operation.
In response to the revelations, the National Assembly Health Committee announced on Tuesday, April 22, that it would open a formal inquiry into the alleged trafficking. The committee, led by Seme MP James Nyikal, aims to release its findings within 80 days.
This comes just days after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale ordered the suspension of kidney transplant services at the facility pending investigations.
The matter drew the attention of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which tasked its elite Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) to handle the high-profile organ trafficking investigations.
Meanwhile, Kenyans who are said to have been paid for donating their kidneys have agreed to testify before the teams investigating Mediheal Hospital. The hospital’s legal team reassured the public that all records would be made available for review to demonstrate there was no misconduct.
The legal counsel stated that the donors are willing to confirm they were not compensated, and the hospital is prepared to release patient files to address any concerns.
Conrad Maloba, the hospital's lead lawyer, mentioned that the donors are ready to appear before both the National Assembly Committee on Health and a task force appointed by CS Duale. He emphasised that the hospital has nothing to hide.
