Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has issued a strong warning to Mediheal Hospital owner and former Kesses MP Swarup Mishra, saying the government is ready to prosecute, deport, and revoke his citizenship over alleged involvement in a transnational organ trafficking syndicate.
Addressing the press on Friday, Duale spoke shortly after the government adopted a damning report compiled by an independent committee investigating illegal kidney transplants and alleged exploitation of young Kenyans.
“We have solid evidence. Some of these young people had their kidneys removed and have since vanished. Some were paid off. You cannot come into this country with a bag 20 years ago, enrich yourself by selling human organs, then become a lawmaker, and now start threatening officials,” said a visibly furious Duale.
“If it means stripping you of citizenship because you were not born here we will do it. We will shut down your hospitals, and we will deport you,” he added, referencing Mishra’s naturalized Kenyan citizenship.
Duale also subtly suggested that Mishra was using bribes and threats to derail ongoing investigations, despite previously denying any role in the scandal that has drawn international attention.
The outcry came after a collaborative investigation by Deutsche Welle, ZDF, and Der Spiegel, implicating Mediheal Eldoret in unlawful organ transplants allegedly conducted for foreign patients.
According to the reports, desperate young Kenyans were being lured into donating kidneys under coercive or deceptive conditions, while wealthy recipients from abroad paid as much as $200,000 (Ksh25.9 million) for transplant procedures.
One young Kenyan man revealed he received only $4,000 (Ksh518,000) for his kidney. He told journalists that he was introduced to a middleman who arranged everything, including hospital transport. The man signed consent forms written in English a language he said he couldn’t read before undergoing surgery.
Investigations also uncovered a Germany-based agency that allegedly recruited organ recipients and linked them to operations at the Kenyan facility.
Despite internal warnings from local health officials, the hospital continued with the procedures unchecked, thanks to what the DW report described as “powerful political protection”.
Mishra, who had been serving as Chair of the Kenya Biovax Institute, was recently relieved of his position by President William Ruto following mounting pressure.
In response to the exposé, Duale has now directed a full audit of Mediheal Hospital and its transplant records. He warned that legal action would be initiated if the investigations uncover violations of medical ethics or human rights.
Mediheal has repeatedly defended its practices, asserting that all organ donations were carried out in accordance with law and with consent. But detractors argue that the imbalance of power between poor donors and rich recipients makes such consent doubtful.
The scandal has generated popular outcry, with Kenyans demanding accountability for what appears to be an organized exploitation ring masquerading as a medical service
