Former Cabinet Secretary and ex-presidential adviser Moses Kuria has criticized Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale for threatening to revoke the citizenship of former Kesses MP and Mediheal Hospitals founder, Dr Swarup Mishra. Kuria expressed concern over Duale’s remarks, warning that such utterances risk damaging Kenya’s image among investors and undermine the rule of law.
“Sometimes I wonder. When a senior government official who is not in charge of immigration says we will cancel citizenship and deport so and so, do we ponder to think what investors will think of our country?” Kuria posed in a statement on August 2, 2025. “What of investors’ confidence? What of due process? What of our credit rating?”
Kuria warned that such statements from high-ranking officials erode investor confidence and paint Kenya as unorthodox in its handling of sensitive legal matters. He questioned how the government expects to attract foreign investment and create employment opportunities for the youth amid such conduct.
Duale’s remarks came in response to findings from a government task force investigating 476 kidney transplants conducted at Mediheal Hospitals between 2018 and 2024. The report accused the facility of regulatory breaches and recommended the prosecution of Dr Mishra and three senior doctors. Duale alleged that some victims had disappeared or had been paid off to remain silent, and stated that foreigners received transplants using Kenya’s NHIF scheme.
“If it means us revoking that citizenship because it is not by birth, we will revoke it, close your hospitals and deport you (Mishra),” Duale declared.
Dr Mishra, however, has denied any wrongdoing. He asserted that no Kenyan kidney has ever been exported, and all foreign patients came with their own donors. “The facility is not involved in donor selection, transactions, or any form of influence or coercion,” he said on July 29.
While the allegations against Mediheal remain serious and warrant thorough investigation, Kuria emphasized that citizenship matters must follow due process, cautioning against politicized threats that may compromise Kenya’s legal and investment frameworks.
