Why desperate Kenyans are selling their body organs

The desperation of Kenyans forced Kenyatta National Hospital in 2022 to clarify that it does not issue money or incentives to those willing to donate their kidneys to patients who need a transplant at the country’s top facility.

In a notice, the hospital posted, “How much for my kidney?" as the question they constantly receive from desperate Kenyans.

“Please note that organ sale is strictly prohibited and illegal. You can only donate out of free will,” the hospital urged Kenyans.

When Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Thursday suspended two senior Ministry officials for their alleged involvement in malpractice and ethical breaches in kidney transplant services at Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret, he was moving to tame a crime that is targeting the country’s poor and desperate.

The hospital is currently under investigation for allegedly harvesting kidneys from poor Kenyans who are reportedly paid Sh294,000 and then selling them to recipients in foreign countries for Sh3.2 million each.

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure for transplanting a healthy kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease. This procedure offers a chance for improved quality of life and eliminates the need for dialysis. Kenya has emerged as a leading destination for kidney transplantation due to its affordable and high-quality healthcare services.

The Eastleigh Voice learnt that the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services (KBTTS) formed a probe team to finalise a report on the allegations in December 2023, which did not see the light of day.

However, whistleblowers in the probe team claimed that the final report was interfered with, citing orders from above.

Duale directed the immediate suspension of Dr. Maurice Wakwabubi, acting KBTTS boss and Dr. Everlyne Chege, the technical lead who chaired the probe team. He cited that this would eliminate potential conflicts of interest during the ongoing investigations.

The CS appointed Dr. Martin Sirengo, senior Deputy Director of Medical Services, to take the helm of KBTTS in the interim period.

Services suspended

Further, Duale suspended all kidney transplant services at the hospital until further notice to investigate the claims. He redirected all patients seeking transplant-related services to attend any of the eight licensed kidney transplant facilities.

These include Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, MP Shah Hospital, Nairobi Hospital, St Luke's Hospital-Eldoret, Nairobi West Hospital and Mater Hospital.

To effectively conduct the investigations, CS Duale appointed an independent committee of transplant experts to conduct a comprehensive audit of all kidney transplant services at the hospital for the past five years.

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In an article published in January 10, 2024 by Senior Researcher Willis Okumu of ENACT, an organisation enhancing Africa's response to transnational organised crime, titled “Poverty is driving young men to sell their kidneys to organ harvesting syndicates in Kenya,” poverty is cited as the main reason driving Kenyans into selling their organs.

The article indicates that while many see this as an opportunity to support themselves and their families, they are not necessarily told of the dangers, which include high blood pressure and reduced kidney function that could lead to kidney failure. Some victims have complained of constant pain at the surgery site, while others say they struggle with long-term back pain.

The youths are lured by the prospect of cash, with some being paid as much as Sh750,000 for a kidney. However, with the increase in youth seeking to donate their kidneys, the price has decreased to around Sh300,000. No legal provision covers acts involving people willing to sell their kidneys for monetary gain

“The Health Act imposes a fine of up to Sh. 8 million or a prison term of up to 10 years, or both, for organ harvesting or trafficking. However, the enforcement of this law is problematic, as it is impossible to police organ harvesting when there is no existing legal provision for acts involving people willing to sell their kidneys for monetary gain,” notes the article.

Recent investigations by German media outlets Der Spiegel, ZDF, and Deutsche Welle have reignited the controversy. They state that since around 2022, patients from countries as far as Israel have been travelling to Kenya to receive kidney transplants. The practice — often described as “transplant tourism” — continued into 2024, with German patients undergoing procedures at Mediheal Hospital.

In a medical research paper published by the Agha Khan University titled “Kenyan Policy on Organ Donation, Transfusion, and Transplantation: Implications for Africa and the Greater Transplant Community,” by Kevin Gianaris of Indiana University School of Medicine, Matthew Koech of Moi University and others, there is shortage of organ donors in Kenya.

“Kenya began living donor kidney transplantations in 1978. The development of a national transplantation program has been delayed with the absence of an infrastructure, adequate funding, inadequate public education and awareness, and lack of well-trained professional personnel,” notes the paper.

According to Yapita Heath, an Indian medical company that prides itself as that which provides affordable access to quality treatments worldwide, indicates that Kenya offers highly cost-effective Kidney Transplant procedures compared to many other countries. It notes that a kidney goes between 1.9 million to 2.4 million.