Kidney Transplant in Kenia

Deutsche Welle (DW) was the first to take action, followed by the BBC. Both highlighted abuses that had not been publicly disclosed.

DW investigated organ trafficking in Kenya, particularly kidney transplantation. This doesn't always go smoothly. The Kenyan government confirmed that it would cease kidney transplant operations at a clinic under scrutiny for organ trafficking. The announcement came just days after the publication of a report by DW and the German media outlets Der Spiegel and ZDF on the "Mediheal" clinic in Kenya. What was reported is interesting. The paths of organ sellers and buyers were examined. Documents were also analyzed, and whistleblowers and medical professionals were interviewed. This revealed a network operating internationally that exploits young Kenyans who desperately need money, as well as elderly patients who urgently need a life-saving kidney. The DW correspondent in Nairobi reported that the Kenyan government reacted quickly and began suspending organ transplant operations at the hospital. The DW correspondent put it quite kindly, as between November 2018 and 2023, the hospital performed 372 kidney transplants, an unusually high number by local standards. What stands out here is that the hospital's owner is Dr. Swarup Mishra, a well-known businessman and former member of parliament, who is also considered a close political ally of President William Ruto. At the end of 2024, Mishra was appointed chairman of the state-run Kenya BioVax Vaccine Institute. The report cited procedural violations. Consent forms were not translated into languages ​​that the donors or recipients could understand. It should be noted that Kiswahili, the national language, and English, the official languages ​​of Kenya, are both important. It was also found that donors and recipients were often not biologically related, which constitutes a violation of ethical transplant protocols. The ministry has taken measures to suspend the licenses of foreign doctors because the affected individuals were foreign nationals from Pakistan and India. How much does a kidney cost in Kenya? Just under $1,000 plus a motorcycle. This is how the donor got his boda boda – a motorcycle taxi – with which he earns his living. He was taken to a private clinic in Eldoret for examinations. Two weeks later, he was back in Eldoret, where he received food and lodging and underwent regular blood, urine, and stool tests over the next three weeks. During this entire time, the donor had a minder – a person hired to look after those from whom kidneys were to be removed. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will review the human rights situation in Kenya on May 1, 2025. It is conducted in Geneva, Switzerland. All member states undergo this process every 4.5 years. Kenya underwent a review in January 2020. Previous reviews took place in January 2015 and May 2010. Organ trafficking in Kenya is a serious and ongoing issue involving the exploitation of impoverished young men who sell their kidneys for cash, often under coercive or misleading circumstances. Vulnerable individuals, mainly from poor backgrounds, are recruited by brokers and taken to clinics—especially in Eldoret—where kidneys are harvested and sold on the black market, sometimes to foreign recipients from countries like Germany, Israel, India, and others. Organ trafficking in Kenya is driven by poverty and facilitated by a network of brokers, clinics, and international buyers, with ongoing investigations highlighting the need for stricter laws and enforcement to protect human dignity and medical ethics. @https://www.theafricareport.com/381575/israeli-german-patients-linked-to-kenyas-underground-kidney-trade/ @https://issafrica.org/iss-today/organ-harvesting-syndicates-prey-on-kenya-s-desperate-youth @https://www.unodc.org/documents/organized-crime/constructive-dialogues/TiP_2024/Presentations/4_Nguli.pdf @https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-halts-kidney-traffickin g-operation-after-dw-report/a-72278834 @https://www.citizen.digital/news/kenyas-human-rights-record-to-be-examined-by-un-council-n361835?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ9 04JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnXjIzMxRJGSo3uW2fnNOGcYxgBdoRmj3QFPdf_JiuM627P39HmouBEzMtWC_aem_RUSjX07GXraJ22U74dlTVA&sfnsn=mo @https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-halts-kidney-trafficking-operation-after-dw-report/a-72278834