Ruto Suspends Mediheal Founder, BioVax Chair Over Kidney Transplant Scandal
President William Ruto has suspended Mediheal Founder Dr. Swarup Mishra’s position as chair of the Kenya BioVax Institute, effective immediately.
In an official statement issued on Friday, April 18, the president disclosed that the suspension stems from a series of investigations into unethical conduct regarding recent incidents of organ trafficking.
“The suspension shall remain in force pending the outcome of investigations into serious allegations of unethical and illegal activities involving kidney transplant procedures at Mediheal Hospital and Fertility Centre in Eldoret,” the statement read in part.
Press Release: pic.twitter.com/Xv6kFCyMdE
— Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) April 18, 2025
An investigation by Deutsche Welle, German broadcaster ZDF, and worldwide media outlet ‘Der Spiegel’ found that Kenya was at the center of an organ trafficking organization, with recipients paying up to $200,000 (Ksh25.9 million) for an organ transplant.
According to the investigation, the syndicate abused both the young looking for money and the elderly in need of a life-saving organ.
According to DW, an international network coordinates operations and seeks local contributors through paid recommendations; in certain cases, donors are allegedly flown in from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan.
Investigations discovered that poor Kenyans, frequently desperate for cash, were duped into selling their kidneys for as little as Ksh294,000.
The receivers of these kidneys primarily came from Germany and Israel.
According to the studies, donors were frequently misled into signing documents they did not comprehend, and many were left with serious health consequences after surgery.
— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) April 17, 2025
Mediheal’s Vice President responded to the probes, stating that all organ transplants performed at the institution were legal.
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Speaking on Spice FM on Wednesday, April 16, the VP stated that patients who come to the hospital for organ transplants are responsible for finding a donor, a process she denies the hospital is involved in.
In the suspension statement, President Ruto reassured Kenyans that the government is committed to maintaining its integrity in healthcare and public safety.
“The President reaffirms the Government’s commitment to fighting corruption, including upholding integrity in healthcare, public safety, and justice for victims,” Ruto asserted.
Mishra was appointed by the President to lead the BioVax Institute Board in November 2024, a position he was to hold for the next three years.
Ruto Suspends Mediheal Founder, BioVax Chair Over Kidney Transplant Scandal
