Mishra
President William Ruto has suspended Kenya BioVax Institute Chairperson Dr. Swarup Mishra with immediate effect.
In a statement dated Friday, April 18, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said the suspension of Mishra follows a series of investigations over unethical activities involving the recent cases of organ trafficking.
Hussein noted that the suspension will remain in place until investigations into organ trafficking allegations at Mediheal Hospital are concluded.
“President William Ruto has today suspended, with immediate effect, Dr Swarup Mishra as chair of the Kenya BioVax Institute.
“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.
Mishra has been serving as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Kenya Biovax Institute Limited since November 22, 2024, when he was appointed by President William Ruto.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Thursday announced he will appoint an independent expert committee to conduct an audit of kidney transplant services at Mediheal over the past five years.
“I am appointing an independent committee of transplant experts, drawn from public and private health facilities, professional associations, and relevant regulatory bodies to undertake a comprehensive audit of all kidney transplant services at the Mediheal Group of Hospitals for the past five (5) years, with a focus on governance, clinical practices, ethical compliance, and patient safety protocols,” he stated.
Duale also ordered the immediate suspension of kidney transplant procedures at Mediheal Group of Hospitals and advised all patients currently receiving or seeking transplant-related care at the facility to redirect to other authorized transplant centers.
The directives by CS Duale followed an exposé by Deutsche Welle that revealed that Kenya was at the center of an organ trafficking syndicate with recipients paying up to Ksh25.9 million for an organ transplant.
