An insider at Afya House, the Ministry of Health headquarters, has lifted the lid on how the final report into suspected organ trafficking at Mediheal Hospital was doctored to hide serious findings.
The hospital, based in Eldoret, is owned by Dr. Mishra Kiprop Arap Chelule, a former Kesses MP and close ally of President William Ruto.
According to the whistleblower, who was part of the 12-member probe team, top officials in the Ministry instructed them to remove key parts of the report that painted Mediheal in a bad light.
He says they were told to “tone it down” and avoid recommendations that could lead to sanctions or legal trouble for the hospital.
The team had been investigating claims of shady kidney transplants. Among their findings was a recurring name listed as the next of kin for several unrelated donors and foreign recipients.
They also discovered records of donors under 18 years old being passed off as adults using fake Somali passports.
Despite all this, the final report stated there was “no sufficient evidence” of trafficking and only called for more investigations.
Three doctors Dr. Philip Cheptinga, Dr. John Ngigi, and Dr. Peter Maritim walked away before the final draft was completed. They were representing the Kenya Renal Association, the very body that had raised the red flag in the first place.
Dr. Cheptinga now says the report was watered down to protect powerful people. “We were told directly—this has to be cleaned up,” he said.
The case has drawn even more attention after a DW TV documentary claimed Mediheal was working with an international online medical firm to source kidneys from poor Kenyans. The donors were reportedly paid around KSh294,000, while recipients mostly foreigners paid millions.
Health CS Aden Duale, a career politician with no medical background, is at the center of growing criticism. Many are questioning the decision to place a politician in charge of such a sensitive and technical docket.
Critics now say the government gambled by going political instead of trusting technocrats—and Kenyans are paying the price.