Suggested lead: A brutal trade, a multi-million-dollar business — with Kenya at the heart of it. A special investigation by DW, Der Spiegel, and ZDF, reveals how young and vulnerable people from Kenyans and Central Asia are lured into selling their kidneys. That as rich patients from Germany, Israel and beyond pay huge sums for life-saving transplants. Our next report is by DW Nairobi bureau chief Mariel Müller, who was part of that investigation team.

Uncovered by DW/Kenya Bureau Chief in collab with Der Spiegel and ZDF - MUST mention!  

Lower thirds:

0:03  Report by / Mariel Müller
0:37  Amon / Kidney donor
1:46  Sabine Fischer-Kugler / Kidney ricipient
2:25  Reenacted scene
3:14  Willis Okumo / Institute for Security Studies
3:38  Amon / Kidney donor

Script:

This is Amon Kipruto Mely.  22 years old, from a village in western Kenya. 

Like many young Kenyans, he's struggled to find steady income, jumping from one job to the next. 

One day, a friend told Amon about a quick and easy way to earn a LOT of money. 

0:21
Amon was promised 6000 US dollars for his kidney.  

0:26  +++ SOT Amon (beginnt im OFF) +++ 
"They did not explain anything to me.  They pointed at people around us, and said: 'Look, they donated and they are okay.  They're even back at work." 

0:41
After surgery at a hospital in Eldoret, and only a few days of recovery, Amon was paid only 4000 dollars, less than agreed.   A short time later, Amon began feeling unwell.. and fainted.  

0:57
His mother rushed him to hospital - where she was shocked to learn her son was missing a kidney.  After finding out he had sold it, she reported the incident to the police. 

Amon is not the only young Kenyan to fall victim to organ- selling schemes. 

1:19
We discovered one of the companies organising kidney transplants is called "Med-Lead".  It appears Germany is one of its target countries, among others. 

The demand for organs is high in Germany... where there are not enough donors each year.  

1:35
Sabine Fischer-Kugler turned to Med-Lead for a kidney transplant and admits she paid a six-figure amount.  She says she doesn't regret her decision. 

1:45  +++ SOT Sabine Fischer-Kugler, Kidney recipient +++ 

"It might have been selfish of me, but I wanted the kidney.  The contract terms were in order.  But it's clear to me that it's not quite right." 

1:56
Kenya's health ministry commissioned a fact-finding mission to one of the hospitals where kidney transplants have been conducted, after allegations of organ trafficking taking place there. 

The inspectors found "transplants were conducted despite poor matching results" ... and in "high-risk" cases, like cancer patients.  

2:13
But their report calling for an official investigation never seems to have been acted upon, a source familiar with the matter told us. 

2:24  
The investigator working on organ trafficking cases in Eldoret says he has encountered difficulties.  
 
2:30 - 2:42  +++ SOT Investigator +++

"I feel it's because there are external forces.  Being organized crime, there are very powerful people who may be involved.  So they can use many ways of blocking."

2:42
Med-Lead states it has a success rate of 98 per cent. While the company regrets that organ rejection can occur in individual cases, it denies any wrongdoing. All donors are said to be 100% altruistic and MEDLEAD has been operating transparently and in full compliance with the law since its foundation.

3:04
Researchers say organ traffickers are able to prey on vulnerable poor people - thanks to legal loopholes. 

3:12  +++ SOT Willis Okumo, Institute for Security Studies +++ 

"There's a legal grey area that this syndicate is exploiting.  So because there's no law that prevents you from actually donating your kidney for money, and you cannot be prosecuted for that." 

3:25
In Amon's case, his mother never heard back from the police after reporting what happened to her son, she says. 

Amon is now unable to do many jobs requiring physical labor. 

3:37 +++ SOT Amon +++ 

"If I could go back in time, I would not have said 'yes' to anything.  I would not have let them remove my kidney.  Even if they tried to persuade me, I would not agree.  Because right now, I feel like I'm desperate." 

3:52
Amon says he feels like he's been taken advantage of. 

Suggested outro: DW has reached out to the Kenyan health ministry for comment but has not received a response. Kenya's Nation Daily Newspaper is quoting Health Minister Aden Duale as saying that he had just now received a 2023 report of the fact-finding mission into Mediheal that his ministry commissioned... that he would summon the committee for discussions this Monday and would - quote - "close down Mediheal for good if I have to because we cannot allow this to go on and put the lives of Kenyans at risk”.'