Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has issued a strong warning to Mediheal Hospital owner and former Kesses MP Swarup Mishra over serious allegations of organ trafficking.
Duale spoke firmly on Friday, August 1, after a report by an independent committee linked the hospital to illegal organ transplant activities.
He said there was enough evidence to prove that Mediheal was involved in unlawful operations, and the government was prepared to take tough action.
He also warned that prosecution, deportation, and even revocation of citizenship were possible measures the government could take against Mishra.
Duale was angry as he addressed the issue, accusing Mishra of trying to interfere with investigations by using threats and bribes.
He claimed that some young people had their kidneys removed and later disappeared.
According to Duale, some of these victims were paid small amounts of money while others vanished without a trace.
He questioned how someone could come to Kenya as a foreigner, make money, become a Member of Parliament, and then allegedly engage in illegal acts like organ selling.
Duale said if needed, the government would strip Mishra of his Kenyan citizenship, shut down his hospitals, and send him back to his country.
The organ trafficking scandal came to light through a detailed investigation by German media houses Deutsche Welle, ZDF, and Der Spiegel.
Their reports revealed that Kenya had become a key player in a global organ trade network.
The reports showed that wealthy patients paid up to $200,000, or around Ksh25.9 million, for a kidney transplant. Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret was identified as one of the places where these operations took place.
The investigation told disturbing stories of how desperate and poor young Kenyans were used.
In one example, a young man was offered just $4,000, or Ksh518,120, for his kidney.
He was taken to the hospital by a middleman and asked to sign documents in English, a language he could not read or understand. Many like him were used and left in poor health while the hospital and agents made massive profits.
Despite warnings raised by local health officials, the hospital continued operating without any punishment.
Mishra was believed to have close ties with powerful people, which helped him avoid scrutiny.
After the reports went public, CS Duale said the government would audit the hospital and investigate all related activities.
President William Ruto later removed Mishra from his role as Chair of the Kenya Biovax Institute.
Meanwhile, Mediheal has denied all accusations, saying that their procedures followed the law and that donors gave full consent.
But the seriousness of the evidence has put pressure on the government to act swiftly and protect vulnerable Kenyans from such exploitation.
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