Health CS Duale commissions team to probe organ transplant practices
The committee’s formation comes amid growing calls for accountability in the health sector following disturbing claims of ethical violations and irregular transplant procedures.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has unveiled an independent committee to investigate organ and tissue transplant services in Kenya following public concern over allegations of malpractice involving the Mediheal Group of Hospitals.
The 13-member team, chaired by Professor Elizabeth Bukusi, was formally inaugurated at Afya House in Nairobi on Friday, following its official gazettement through Gazette Notice No. 78 on April 23, 2025.
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The committee’s formation comes amid growing calls for accountability in the health sector following disturbing claims of ethical violations and irregular transplant procedures.
During the ceremony, Duale underscored the importance of the investigation, stating it marks a crucial step toward restoring public confidence in Kenya’s health system.
“This is a moment of reckoning. We are not just doing an investigation, we are building the trust and confidence of the public sector in the health system. We will not entertain impunity, we will not shield any wrongdoing,” he told the committee.
The Cabinet Secretary urged the team to carry out their mandate with transparency, integrity, discretion, and professionalism, and expressed confidence in their ability to handle the sensitive assignment.
He directed the committee to submit a full report by July 22, 2025.
“This committee has our full support. I will not be deterred from delivering to the people of Kenya. We will act decisively, transparently and in the best interest of the people of Kenya,” he added.
Duale was accompanied at the event by Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr Ouma Oluga, Public Health PS Mary Muthoni, and Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth.
The secretariat for the committee will include Stella Kanja, Rueben Tulei, and Jedidah Effie Oduor.
PS Oluga called on the committee to conduct its assignment with fairness and objectivity.
He said their final report should help shape better clinical workflows in all health institutions across the country.
The committee’s scope will include a thorough review of the legal and institutional frameworks governing organ and tissue transplants in Kenya.
It is expected to assess whether hospitals, including Mediheal, have complied with the existing laws, guidelines, protocols, and ethical standards that guide such procedures.
It will also seek to identify weaknesses in governance, transplant protocols, ethics reviews, and post-surgery monitoring systems.
One of its key tasks will be to review and highlight gaps in policy and regulation that may have allowed for possible misconduct.
The formation of the committee follows a detailed investigative report that linked Mediheal Group of Hospitals to a global organ trafficking syndicate.
These allegations have sparked widespread concern among citizens and stakeholders in the healthcare sector.
Despite the public uproar, Mediheal Group has denied all wrongdoing. Maryline Limo, the Group Vice President for Operations, dismissed the claims, saying the hospital adheres strictly to ethical and legal transplant guidelines.
“We follow all legal and ethical guidelines, as per industry standards, which prohibit the commercial sale of organs,” she said in response to the allegations.
Mediheal founder Swarup Mishra also came out to defend the institution, insisting that the accusations are groundless and lack any credible backing.
“These claims are entirely unfounded and are not supported by any credible evidence. We remain committed to delivering ethical, safe, and world-class healthcare to our patients and reaffirm our unwavering dedication to medical integrity,” he said.
The committee will also examine whether Mediheal followed proper ethics review processes, transplant authorisations, and patient follow-ups in line with national and international medical practice.
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