Hospitals under investigation for alleged irregularities in organ transplants have admitted to conducting procedures on foreign nationals, raising fresh concerns over oversight in the health sector.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Health Committee in Eldoret on Thursday, August 28, 2025, leaders of several health facilities confirmed that among the kidney transplant recipients they treated were Somali nationals. According to officials from Mediheal Hospital, at least five patients from Somalia underwent the procedures, with the costs registered and paid for through the now-defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Endebess MP Robert Pukose, a member of the committee, pressed the officials to disclose the nationality of patients treated. “Among the patients who have received kidney transplants, were there any foreigners?” he asked.
A medical officer from Mediheal explained that donor-recipient matching was not handled directly by the hospital but through a partner institution. “The role of identifying and pairing potential donors and recipients belongs to one of the Medical Centres for Kidney and Chronic Diseases, with whom we have a memorandum of understanding. Most of the cases involved blood relatives,” the officer said.
The committee demanded full records of all transplants, including the nationality, identification, and contacts of both donors and recipients. Data presented showed that one of the hospitals had conducted 34 kidney transplants, some of which led to complications.
“There were one or two cases of rejection after surgery, some bleeding that required patients to return to theatre, and one donor who developed acute kidney injury but recovered. We have also received information about a few patients who passed away after surgery,” a hospital representative disclosed.
While admitting gaps in follow-up and patient monitoring, the hospitals insisted that all procedures were carried out legally and ethically. They cited compliance with the Health Act 2017, the Human Tissues Act, and the Data Protection Act, stressing adherence to medical ethics, including autonomy, justice, and informed consent.
The probe comes amid rising public concern over the integrity of Kenya’s transplant programs and the risk of exploitation of vulnerable populations. The committee is expected to review the hospitals’ submissions before recommending further action.
