Ruto suspends Mishra as parastatal boss after launch of probe into suspected illegal Mediheal kidney transplants
In a statement to the press, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed stated that Mishra has been suspended until the ongoing investigations are complete
President William Ruto has suspended former Kesses Member of Parliament Swarup Mishra as the chairperson of the Kenya BioVax institute over alleged illegal kidney transplants by his Mediheal Hospital-Eldoret.
In a statement to the press, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed stated that Mishra has been suspended until the ongoing investigations are complete.
“President William Ruto has today suspended with immediate effect Mishra Swarup as the Chairperson of the Kenya BioVax Institute,” Mohammed stated.
“The suspension will remain in force pending investigations into serious allegations of illegal and unethical activities involving Kidney transplant activities at Mediheal Hospital and Fertility Centre, which was founded by Mishra,” he added.
The spokesperson added that the President took the step because he is committed to fighting corruption and holding integrity in health centres and ensuring justice for the victims.
The suspension of Mishra comes a day after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale suspended kidney transplants at all Mediheal hospitals.
He redirected kidney patients to eight facilities across the country, which are licensed to undertake the procedures.
“Effective immediately, all transplant services- and in particular kidney transplant services- at Mediheal Group of Hospitals are hereby suspended until further notice. All patients currently receiving or seeking transplant-related services at Mediheal are advised to seek care at the following eight licensed kidney transplant facilities: Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, M.P. Shah Hospital, Nairobi Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital- Eldoret, Nairobi West Hospital, and Mater Hospital,” Duale said in a statement.
He further appointed an audit committee to conduct investigations and table a report within 90 days.
Further, Duale suspended Morris Wakwabi, the acting head of Blood Donation and Transplantation, and Everlyne Chege, a Ministry of Health Multidisciplinary to eliminate possible conflicts of interest as investigations continue.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) was also directed to halt licensing of foreign doctors outside the East African region and carry out a fresh audit on all currently licensed foreign practitioners.
The move follows concerns over procedures at the private hospital, after an investigative documentary by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) 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.
