Kenya Establishes Independent Committee to Oversee Tissue and Organ Transplant Services
Chaired by Prof. Walter G. Jaoko, the panel will advise the Cabinet Secretary and the Social Health Authority on benefit packages and tariffs.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. Photo/Citizen Digital.
By Robert Assad
The government has established the Independent Investigative Committee on Tissue and Organ Transplant Services, as announced in Gazette Notice No. 5043 published on 23rd April 2025.
Signed by Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale, the committee aims to regulate and enhance the legal, ethical, and operational framework for transplant services across the country.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Elizabeth Bukusi, comprises a diverse group of experts, including Dr. Jonathan Wala Ameyo, Dr. Prexedes Okutoyi, Dr. Patrick Mbungu, Dr. Noelle Atieno Orata, Dr. Ann Kasyoka Barasa, Dr. Diviner Kemunto Nyarera, Wendy Kimbiu, Sara Talaso Bonaya, Charles Kandie, Joseph Ndirangu, and Larica Omam.
The secretariat will be led by Stella Kanja, with Reuben Tulei and Jedidah Effie Odour providing support.
The committee’s mandate includes reviewing the existing legal and regulatory framework for tissue and organ transplant services in Kenya, ensuring compliance with ethical and clinical standards, and assessing the practices of health facilities, particularly the Mediheal Group of Hospitals, which has been designated to offer such services.
It will also evaluate governance, operating procedures, and transplant protocols, identify systemic weaknesses, and determine the facilities licensed to conduct these services.
Additionally, the committee will investigate allegations of illegal organ transplant activities, including organ trafficking and non-compliance by Mediheal and other facilities.
To achieve its objectives, the committee will conduct in-depth investigations, review clinical records, and interview key stakeholders, including renal transplant surgeons, nephrologists, anesthetists, administrators, patients, donors, and recipients.
It will also examine the ethical validity of donor-recipient matches and investigate any instances of commercialization, coercion, or organ trafficking that violate human rights or applicable laws.
In a related development, the Cabinet Secretary also announced the formation of the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel under the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024.
Chaired by Prof. Walter G. Jaoko, the panel will advise the Cabinet Secretary and the Social Health Authority on benefit packages and tariffs.
Members include Dr. Reuben Amoth, Nehemiah Odera, Margaret Macharia, Dr. Hajara El Busaidy, Dr. Robert Rapando, Dr. Gabriel Muswali, Dr. Mary Kigasia Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, Walter Oyamo Obita, Valeria Makory, Stephen Kaboro, Francis Moturi, Evelyne Wambugu, Dr. Tobias Okech, Nyokabi Nyokabi, and Abdiaziz Abukadir Ahmed.
Both committees will serve for three years, with the transplant committee domiciled at the Ministry of Health. These initiatives reflect Kenya’s commitment to strengthening its healthcare system and ensuring ethical medical practices.
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