Why desperate youth are selling kidneys in Eldoret

Top nephrologists have revealed that desperate Kenyan youth are approaching Level Four and Five hospitals in Eldoret seeking to sell their kidneys.

According to the medics, young people from counties in the Rift Valley, Western, and Nyanza regions have been flocking Eldoret-based hospitals since last year, following allegations of unethical organ donations in the city.

The National Assembly Committee on Health was on Thursday told how youth have been approaching nephrologists and hospital staff with these unusual requests.

Doctors at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), St Luke’s Orthopedic and Trauma Hospital, and Oak Tree Centre told Dr James Nyikal’s team that youth began persistently visiting their facilities soon after the kidney scandal involving Mediheal Hospital surfaced.

They said the young people came to the hospitals almost daily with one mission – to sell their kidneys in order to meet personal obligations.

MTRH’s nephrologist Dr Philip Cheptinga noted that the most recent cases involved youth who had traveled from as far as Nakuru and Homa Bay counties, asking to donate their organs in exchange for money.

According to Dr Cheptinga, a senior nephrologist and the whistle blower in the Mediheal kidney scandal, youth seeking to sell their kidneys have been asking for at least Sh500,000 to have the organs removed and donated to any recipient.

He said nephrologists have consistently turned them away, but many continue to show up at MTRH.

“Most of the young people said they came because they heard that kidneys are sold in Eldoret. We have counselled them and shared the information with security agencies, but we are yet to see any action from investigators,” Dr Cheptinga told the committee.

Organ trafficking

The nephrologist also tabled a report indicating that organ trafficking is part of an international racket and called for stringent laws to regulate transplant procedures.

MTRH statistics show that majority of the kidney sellers came from counties including Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nakuru, Laikipia, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Homa Bay and Kakamega, among others.

“They ask for Sh500,000 and above for their kidney. We have also seen donors whose kidneys were removed in other facilities returning with post-surgery complications including infections and mental problems,” said Dr Cheptinga.

At Oak Tree Centre, a private Level 4b hospital, calls and visits from people offering to  ‘urgently’ sell their kidneys have become a daily occurrence.

Hospital proprietor and Chief Executive Officer Mathew Koech said the facility has encountered kidney brokers who promise to link donors and recipients for a fee.

“We receive numerous calls and visits from people wanting to sell their kidneys. Some even claim they can recommend patients and donors to us. Others are turned away at the gate by security guards after openly declaring that they came to sell their organs,” said Dr Koech.

He added: “Kidney recipients become desperate when their relatives are not suitable donors, while the poor in need of money, are ready to donate.

Hospitals are in business and can overlook ethical considerations and middlemen often exploit the situation.” The CEO said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is probing a case in which a Kenyan kidney donor tricked nephrologists at the facility by posing as a relative of a Somali patient in need of a transplant.

“One donor came to us claiming to be Somali, and his travel documents supported the claim. We were duped into carrying out the transplant. It was not our mistake. The matter is now under investigation by the DCI,” Dr Koech said.

Doctors reported similar cases at St Luke’s Orthopedic and Trauma Hospital, though top officials denied recruiting donors for cross-matching before conducting transplants on Somali patients.

St Luke’s came under scrutiny after alleging that it conducted kidney transplants in collaboration with Oak Tree, despite lacking a resident nephrologist and relying instead on specialists outsourced from MTRH.

The hospital told the committee that out of 117 transplants it has performed, five involved Somali patients, whose bills were paid by the defunct NHIF.

Dr Mathew Koech confirmed that Oak Tree collaborated with St Luke’s until May, when they halted kidney transplants following the launch of investigations into Mediheal Hospital.

The committee questioned why St Luke’s stopped transplants despite not being directly under investigation.

Dr Nyikal said the team was gathering views after a petition by Nandi Hills MP Bernard Kitur.

“We will prepare a comprehensive report after listening to submissions from hospitals and donors,” the Seme MP said.