A disturbing DW Documentary filmed in Kenya pulls back the curtain on one of the region’s darkest and least understood crimes—human organ trafficking. The documentary exposes how an underground network of brokers, corrupt medical professionals, and cross-border criminal syndicates operate with deliberate coordination to extract, sell, and profit from human organs.
This is not a horror story from far away. It is a growing threat in East Africa, including Uganda.
Victims are often young people from poor communities, those without resources, connections, or legal protection. Many are deceived with false job offers or fast-cash deals, only to find themselves trapped in medical exploitation. Some are coerced into giving up kidneys; others are operated on without informed consent. A few never survive.
Organ trafficking is not just a medical crime, it is a human rights crisis driven by organized crime and sustained by silence. And like all forms of trafficking, it thrives in environments of poverty, ignorance, and desperation.
At the CATRE, we are sounding the alarm. Our mission goes beyond research, we are committed to prevention through public awareness. That means educating communities on how trafficking networks operate, building early-warning systems, and creating safe spaces for victims and whistleblowers to speak out.
Organ trafficking targets the most marginalized. That’s why awareness must begin where vulnerability is highest; in informal settlements, among unemployed youth, and in families seeking hope abroad.
The DW documentary is a vital resource. But more than that, it’s a call to action.
This trade in human flesh is real, it’s here, and it’s growing. We cannot fight it in the dark.
Watch the DW Documentary on Organ Trafficking in East Africa