DCI take over organ trafficking investigations against Swarp Mishra’s owned Mediheal Hospital
Amin called on the victims or anyone with information that could help TOCU in the launched investigations to record a statement at their head offices
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI’s) Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) has launched investigations into the alleged trafficking of human organs by Mediheal Hospital at its Fertility and Transplant Centre in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County owned by former Kesses Member of Parliament (MP) Swarup Mishra.
In a statement to the press, the DCI boss Amin Mohammed acknowledged that several cases had been reported in DCIO offices and police stations in the North Rift Region, and by the Transnational Organized Crime Unit taking over, they’ll harmonize the reports and record fresh statements from the victims and suspects.
Amin called on the victims or anyone with information that could help TOCU in the launched investigations to record a statement at their head offices.
“Any persons (victims or otherwise) who may have information that could help in the highlighted matter are, therefore, called upon to record their statements with the Head of TOCU at the offices held at DCI Headquarters, Block B,” he appealed.
The DCI boss said they are committed to conducting the investigations professionally and delivering timely justice to the victims.
The Investigations by the DCI come after the National Assembly Health Committee, led by Seme Member of Parliament James Nyikal, indicated that it had started an 80-day probe into the matter.
The legislators raised serious concerns over breaches of professional ethics in kidney transplant procedures at the facility.
Nyikal said the probe would focus on the broader regulation of organ transplants in the country, with particular attention to the integrity of kidney transplant services, the involvement of foreign nationals, and the emerging issue of potential transplant tourism.
He added that the inquiry would examine whether the procedures conducted at Mediheal adhered to Kenya’s legal and ethical standards.
Recently, the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) in an intriguing Investigative piece revealed that organ trading has been taking place at the facility. The investigative piece revealed that the operations initially involved kidney recipients from Somalia and donors from Kenya.
However, the scope of the alleged racket widened in 2022 to include recipients from Israel, and by 2024, from Germany.
Donors were also reportedly flown in from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. Some donors were coerced into signing documents falsely identifying them as relatives of recipients they had never met.
In many instances, they consented to kidney removals without fully understanding the health risks involved, with some allegedly underage at the time of surgery.
