The Departmental Committee on Health in Kenya’s National Assembly has initiated an 80-day public inquiry into troubling claims surrounding kidney transplant procedures conducted at Mediheal Group of Hospitals.
This decision follows mounting public unease and a recent investigative report highlighting suspected violations of ethical guidelines, instances of transplant tourism, and the possible commodification of organ donations.
Speaking during a press briefing at Bunge Towers on Tuesday, Committee Chair and Seme MP Dr. James Nyikal outlined the scope of the inquiry. The investigation will explore the legality and ethical framework of transplant services provided at the facility, as well as the regulatory oversight in place.
“This issue raises serious concerns about the sanctity of human life and the credibility of Kenya’s medical sector,” said Dr. Nyikal. “Our role is to ensure that any malpractice is uncovered, and proper safeguards are recommended.”
Among the questions the committee seeks to answer are whether Mediheal adhered to the provisions of the Health Act and Human Tissue Act, and whether organ donors were properly informed and consented without pressure or deceit.
The inquiry comes after the Kenya Renal Association (KRA), in a statement dated May 3, 2024, expressed alarm over an increasing trend of organ trafficking involving economically vulnerable donors and foreign patients at the hospital. The association cited cases pointing to coercion and inadequate consent, breaching both Kenyan legislation and international transplant ethics.
Mediheal, a major private healthcare provider in East Africa, has offered transplant services for over ten years. However, over the past two years, its Eldoret branch has faced intensified scrutiny amid fears that it may be facilitating “transplant tourism”—where foreign nationals receive organs under ethically questionable circumstances.
The inquiry will further assess the involvement of foreign doctors and patients. The committee aims to determine whether immigration and licensing protocols for international medical professionals were properly followed and if donor-recipient relationships—especially those involving foreigners—were authentic and ethically sound.
Dr. Nyikal emphasized the importance of verifying if all transplants met ethical and medical standards, asking, “Were these procedures based on genuine relationships and medical compatibility, or were ethical lines crossed?”
In response to growing advocacy from healthcare professionals and civil society, the Ministry of Health launched a fact-finding mission in December 2023. This mission involved experts including transplant surgeons, ethicists, and officials from KMPDC, KRA, and the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services (KBTTS), with a mandate to evaluate the clinical, legal, and ethical standards of transplant practices at Mediheal.
The controversy escalated on April 17, 2025, when Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale ordered a suspension of all transplant procedures at Mediheal facilities across the country. He also formed an Independent Expert Committee to review all kidney transplants performed by the hospital over the past five years. In a related move, two senior KBTTS officials—Dr. Maurice Wakwabubi and Dr. Everlyne Chege—were suspended to uphold the integrity of the investigation.
Alongside this executive action, the parliamentary committee’s inquiry will also review the roles and effectiveness of oversight institutions, including the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority, and the KMPDC.
