When life becomes tough, survival tactics seem to be many. A student at the Kenya Medical Training College, Embu Campus has put up his kidney for sale to raise college fees. Michael Muruthi Wanjohi, 22 years old taking a diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery has resolved to sell a body organ after the college barred him from continuing with his training and examinations unless he settles fees arrears totaling to Sh67,700.
He is looking for a person who will offer adequate money to offset the fees arrears and pay his fees for remaining years at KMTC and later for a degree course in university. He says he has tried applying for bursaries, approaching potential well-wishers and even organizing a fundraiser, but in vain.
He says that his single mother cannot afford to pay the fee arrears; ”We don’t have any property to sell to raise money. My mother works as a casual worker in tea plantations and lives in a rented room.” He qualified for the Nyeri County Government bursary of Sh10,000 and another from Tetu CDF of Sh3,000, which marginally reduced the fees required.
Determined to pursue a career in medicine, he sought employment at a Nyeri hotel and later in Embu County where he saved Sh67,000 that he used to enroll to KMTC in September 2017. The money paid for his first semester fees and his accommodation. But during the second semester, he struggled to pay fees and was left with arrears which accumulated with the second year’s fees.
In this year he has been in college for only three weeks and only dropped out because even getting meals was a problem; I have been surviving as a casual laborer on construction sites where I earn Sh350 in a day. I put up at a room belonging to another student.”
He says that from his medical classes, he learnt that one can survive on one kidney and he is ready to take that route by selling one; ”If a doctor approves that I’m compatible with the buyer, I’ll go ahead, sell it and have it harvested from me. I’ll have helped save the recipient’s life while getting a chance to complete my studies and thus be in a position to help the community as a medic.”
He consulted a lecturer at the college and a nephrologist at an Embu hospital and they both discouraged him; ”The nephrologist told me the procedure could be carried out as long as I donate the kidney willingly. He told me it would be better if I use other means to raise the money as opposed to selling my kidney because I may develop kidney problems in future and also need a donation.”
He has also discussed the issue with his mother who was shocked at the idea, but did not have an alternative.