A hospital in Eldoret is at the centre of a global organ trafficking ring, with a special investigation revealing that desperate young Kenyans are being exploited for their kidneys while foreign patients pay up to $200,000 (Ksh25.9 million) for illegal transplants.
The exposé by German outlets Deutsche Welle, ZDF, and Der Spiegel uncovered how brokers prey on vulnerable individuals, luring them into risky surgeries with promises of quick cash. In one case, a young man from Kenya received just $4,000 (Ksh518,000) for his kidney signing documents he couldn’t read and unaware of the medical risks. He now suffers long-term complications, including chronic back pain and difficulty walking.
The investigation tracks a coordinated international operation stretching from Europe and Central Asia to Kenya, where local loopholes have made the country a soft target for illicit transplants. Donors have reportedly been trafficked in from as far as Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
With mounting evidence and global attention, questions now swirl around how such operations have gone unnoticed.
