CEO of Mediheal Dr Swarrup Mishra and Lawyer Katwa Kigen speaking in Eldoret on April 23, 2025./PHOTO: MATHEWS NDANYI
Mediheal Group of Hospitals has claimed its kidney transplant success rate stands at 98 per cent as it dismissed allegations it engages in trafficking of human organs.
The legal team led by lawyer Katwa Kigen said Mediheal will cooperate with government agencies conducting investigations into the allegations.
“We are not involved in trafficking of human organs. We are not in any syndicate, and we will cooperate with security agencies, parliamentary committees, the Ministry of Health, and any other institution looking into the matter,” he stated.
Addressing a press conference, Kigen maintained that Mediheal will readily answer questions and provide information to institutions probing the matter.
Kigen noted that Mediheal started to conduct kidney transplants in November 2018 after authorisation and licensing by the Ministry of Health.
“We have a letter from the Ministry of Health to that effect.”
Kigen noted that out of the 476 kidney transplants the facility has conducted, 371 involved Kenyans, while 105 were foreigners.
He said the foreigners were from Israel, Germany, U.S, Burundi, DRC, Somalia among other countries.
“Of the 476, we have had less than two per cent mortality and they all relate to recipients of the organs. We have had zero mortality relating to those who donated the organs,” he added.
Mediheal founder Swarup Mishra said allegations against his facilities are false and baseless.
“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 stated.
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health has since launched an 80-day public inquiry into the allegations.
The move followed public concern and a recent exposé on possible breaches of professional ethics, transplant tourism, and commercialisation of organ donations.
Addressing a press conference at Bunge Towers on Tuesday, Seme MP Dr James Nyikal, who chairs the committee, said the inquiry aims to examine the legality, ethical compliance, and oversight of kidney transplant services at the facility.
He said the committee will recommend necessary legal or policy reforms to safeguard the integrity of the country’s healthcare system.
