How desperate youth have been trapped in global web of illicit organs trade

Human kidney cross section. (Courtesy/GettyImages] Kenya has found itself at the center of a troubling global organ harvesting syndicate, drawing desperate and impoverished youth into a complex and shadowy network of organ traffickers. An extensive investigative report by Germ media outlets Deutsche Welle (DW), Der Spiegel, and ZDF uncovered the inner workings of a transnational organ trade rooted in Kenyan hospitals with links to agencies abroad and involving vulnerable donors and wealthy recipients. At the center of the well-planned global trade is Mediheal Hospital Eldoret, a private hospital owned by Former Kesses MP Swarup Mishra, which is accused of recruiting kidney donors in return for money without proper adherence of the law. What appeared looked like a promising opportunity for quick cash has turned into a lifetime of health complications and regret. Amon Kipruto Mely, a 22-year-old young from Eldoret was among those who fell prey into the trade. In his account, a deal of $6000 (approximately Sh777,0000) with Mediheal cost him more than a kidney. He narrated how he a friend introduced him to a middleman who then arranged transport to Medihedal Hospital in Eldoret. He was convinced that selling his kidney could offer him a fresh start after undergoing financial constraints since Covid-19 pandemic. To him, the promise of $6,000 from a supposed 'quick procedure' seemed like a lifeline. He went on to reveal how he was received by Indian doctors who handed him documents written in English-a language he professed did not understand. "They did not explain anything to me. The one who had taken me pointed at people around us and said: Look, they all donated, and they are even going back to work," Mely explained, to dissuade of any doubt of any health risks. Mely's woes started immediately after the procedure. Initially, he was promised $6,000 but he was only paid $4,000 (Approximately Sh518,000). Soon after, his health deteriorated. His body grew weak to a point of collapsing at home compelling him to reveal to his mother Leah Metto that his sold his kidney. The report also revealed that the trade is majorly fueled by shortage or organs donations especially in Israel and Germany. Dr. Jonathan Wala, a nephrologist and kidney specialist who also serves as the head of the Kenya Renal Association, says unethical kidney transplants have been happening for ages unabated. "I have personally handled cases of patients who come to see me after kidney transplants have gone wrong. Some of them don't even know the identity of the donors. This clearly shows that illegal transplants are taking place," Dr. Wala said in an interview with The Standard. "We have made formal complaints to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) before, but the issue doesn't seem to go away. We are still waiting for a formal response." Dr. Wala added, "We need to see the KMPDC show its teeth and take decisive action to protect the public but even canceling licences of the rogue players." DW also found out that there were about 100 young men in Oyugis who say they sold their kidneys for as little as $2,000 (Sh259, 000). Some recounted how, after their surgery at Mediheal Hospital in Eldoret, brokers asked them to recruit new donors for a $400 commission each. In response to the damning allegations, Maryline Limo, Vice-President in-charge of Operations at Mediheal Group of Hospitals, who spoke with Standard's Spice FM, denied claims of buying and selling organs. Limo denied claims by Mely stating that he was a patient and that he had come with his recipient for the transplant. "All transplant procedures carried out at the facilities strictly adhere to the legal and the procedures of the hospital. The patients are coming with their own donors to the facility. The facility is not involved in sourcing and selection of donors to the facility," said Limo. On the allegation of a promise to pay Mely $6,000, she stated that "Mediheal Hospital is not part and parcel of this money." "The facility is not aware how the money was exchanged. This patient came together with this recipient to the outpatient. A cross-match was done and they were compatible. Normal procedure and protocols were followed, even the legal," Limo said. However, she confirmed that the hospitals had undertaken kidney transplant procedures on 18 patients from Israel. Limo however could not explain why the Ministry of Health order for investigations on allegations of organ trafficking being carried out by Mediheal Hospitals. "The Israel patient came with their medical visa. They were referred by their nephrologist from their country to our facility. And normal procedures were being followed. They came with their donors," said Limo. She was however at pains to explain how a recipient and a donor would travel from Israel, a developed and medically advanced country, to Eldoret for the transplanting procedure. Instead, Limo attributed the influx of Israelis and other international patients coming to Mediheal for kidney transplant to a high success rate. "It is because of the success rate. Our success rate is 99%. And it's known everywhere in this world," said Limo. The audit was carried out following a letter to the ministry by Transplantation Society dated July 20, 2023 raising concerns over increased Israeli nationals receiving kidney transplants in Kenya. "The society highlighted concerns of an organized syndicate that was evading existing regulations in the Country with suspicion of organ trafficking. It further mentioned information from Israeli sources indicating that several kidney transplants involving trafficked foreign kidney donors had taken place specifically at Mediheal Hospital, Eldoret," reads the letter by health CS Aden Duale. The audit report revealed that Mediheal Hospital lacked sufficient documentation to verify relationship between donors and recipient and the documents availed indicated that some of the donors came from different nationalities. It was also revealed that transplants were conducted despite poor donor-recipient compatibility and that the facility lacked clinical morbidity and mortality reports. "There were high risk transplantations including for a patient with confirmed prostate cancer and extremes of age," said Duale. The CS further said the hospital did not have translation of documents for both donors and recipients who could not understand English. "All the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) tests that enables distinction of "self" and "non self" were done in India without the requisite approval of MOH for shipment of human samples outside the country," Duale stated. According to Duale, the facility had conducted 372 kidney transplants within the last five years, with majority cases being from the Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, DRC, Somalia and international cases from Australia, Israel, Japan, USA and UK. But Limo said they have done more than 400 kidney transplants. Shockingly, the Israel Ambassador to Kenya Michael Lotem told The Standard that there was Israeli national who died at the facility due to a botched kidney transplant. "The Embassy got a phone call that there is an Israeli citizen that passed away in this or that clinic in Nairobi. And then we realized that basically what happened is that they died while undergoing the transplant probably in Eldoret," said ambassador Lotem "And then once they died, the body was transferred to Nairobi. Again, we saw quite a lot of these cases, which indicates also to the level of these criminal medical procedures," he added. According to him, few years ago, they noticed that there was an increasing number of Israelis dying in Kenya. "I raised this issue two years ago because something looked very fishy that from remote, small clinics in Nairobi, all of a sudden we get information about Israelis that passed away," Lotem said. "A few weeks ago, I was told by the (a) remote member of the family that another remote member of his family was thinking about coming for a transplant. And I told him it is illegal and I don't recommend it," said Lotem. Lotem noted that Israel illegal organ transplants are illegal and punishable by the law. "These people are not voluntarily donor. They are poor people that are being manipulated. I hope both the law enforcement here in Kenya and in Israel will put an end to it," said the Ambassador. He added that the embassy had forwarded the names on the organ trade scam mentioned in the report to the Israeli police and the ministry of health for necessary action. "These are real people. Both are in dire needs. One of money, the other one of health and someone manipulates both of them," he added. In the DW report, organ trade switched from Somali to recipients to Israelis and Germans, who recipients willing to pay up to $200,000 (Sh25, 940 million) for a kidney. One of the interviewees in the report said she paid between $100, 000 and $200, 000 for a kidney transplant The reports states further the waiting list for a new kidney in Germany is long; it can take eight to ten years. "In Germany, only kidneys of deceased people who explicitly agreed to organ donation may be used for transplants, and there are not enough donors for the more than 10,000 people awaiting a kidney," reads the DW report. In Germany, paying for an organ is illegal, and offenders can face up to five years in prison. Another highly placed source told The Standard that One of the network leads mention in the report is a convicted felon in many countries. "He ran away from Israel. Every time he moves to another country he is promising Israelis kidneys. Once he is exposed, he ran and goes to another country," said the source who did not want to be mentioned. "Now he found out that Kenya is a nice place to operate once you pay off the right people. Every month we are dealing with a deceased who have undergone organ transplant and we have to do shipment of the body back to the Israel," said the source. In response to the report, the Israel Embassy to Kenya indicated that the Israel government is committed to the global fight against this heinous crime. The statement states that Israel is a signatory to the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism and stands firmly behind its principles. "We strongly deplore all forms of organ trafficking and other illegal practices that endanger the lives and dignity of both donors and recipients. Israeli law enforcement authorities remain vigilant in combating organ trafficking both within the country and in cooperation with international partners," reads the statement. "These crimes are taken with the utmost seriousness, and appropriate legal measures are consistently pursued against those involved. We believe and hope that all such illegal acts will be thoroughly investigated and appropriately addressed by the relevant authorities." In Kenya, there are about seven kidney transplant centers. Two are located in public facilities at the Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. The rest are private institutions that include The Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, and MP Shah Hospital. The country has only around 50 nephrologists serving a population of approximately 50 million. "We've encountered people who say, 'I'm a willing seller and there's a willing buyer.' We want to caution the public and especially young people, who are the most vulnerable, let's make it clear that you cannot buy or sell a kidney. It is not only unethical, but also illegal," warned Dr. Wala.

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