Nandi Hill MP says his life is in danger, lifts lid on organ trade

Nandi Hills MP Bernard Kitur has raised the alarm over threats to his life, linking them to his pursuit of justice in a scandal involving illegal organ harvesting allegedly connected to the Mediheal Group of Hospitals in Eldoret.

Kitur claimed that top security officers in Uasin Gishu County are complicit in an international organ trafficking ring.

“Where were the security apparatus? Where was the County Commander? Where was the County Criminal Investigations Officer in Uasin Gishu when all this was happening,” posed Kitur.

The MP alleged that the County Police Commander, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer, and more than ten other security personnel in Eldoret have been stationed in the region for over a decade, either turning a blind eye or worse, actively participating in the ring. 

“The County Criminal Investigations Officer has been in Eldoret for nearly six years. If you trace his movements, you’ll find he came from Kilifi, Shakahola. There may be a link between this illegal organ harvesting and the events in Shakahola, which warrants a broader investigation,” he added.

National Police Service spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said he was unaware of the matter and referred The Standard to the Regional Commander.

Drawing parallels between the Eldoret case and Shakahola mass killings, Kitur criticised the Senate’ report on Shakahola for allegedly omitting critical evidence from pathologists and county security officers. He claimed that some of the bodies in Shakahola may have been victims of organ harvesting.

“I still believe the investigations that were done by the Senate about Shakahola must be reopened. There is a direct correlation between the deaths in Shakahola and the organ harvesting rings. I will be proven right over time,” said Kitur.

Kitur, who first raised the matter before the National Assembly’s Health Committee in June, has previously accused Mediheal Hospital and its founder, former MP Swarup Mishra, of preying on vulnerable youth from low-income, single-parent households.

He alleged that the young people were lured with promises of up to Sh1.2 million for their organs but received less than Sh400,000. Their identification documents were reportedly confiscated and replaced with fake ones.

According to Kitur, foreign patients were flown into Kenya for transplants, many unaware the organs were obtained illegally. He further claimed security officers involved in the ring received proceeds from the trade and helped shield suspects from prosecution.