A 29-year-old man from Makueni County is in serious condition after reportedly cutting off his genitals with a sharp object, local police said on Wednesday.
The incident, which took place in Chyandulu Village, was reported to authorities on October 1 by the man’s father, 70, and his brother, 34. Both rushed him to Makindu Sub-County Hospital, where he remains under treatment. Police have classified the case as self-inflicted bodily harm. The motive has not yet been established, and investigations are ongoing.
Doctors say cases of genital amputation are extremely rare but not unprecedented in Kenya. In 2019, surgeons at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) successfully reattached the penis of a teenage boy after an attack. That procedure, which took seven hours and involved 15 specialists, restored the patient’s ability to urinate and partially regain erectile function.
Specialists emphasise that success in such cases depends on strict conditions. The severed organ must be quickly preserved in clean and cool conditions, and surgery must be performed within hours to prevent irreversible tissue damage.
Microsurgical replantation—considered the global standard for penile amputation—involves reconnecting blood vessels, nerves, and the urethra under magnification. Research published in ScienceDirect notes that this method offers the best outcomes, reducing long-term risks such as erectile dysfunction, strictures, and loss of sensation.
Yet access to such advanced procedures remains uneven in Kenya. While major referral hospitals such as KNH have the capacity and expertise for microsurgery, most county facilities do not.
“Time is the most critical factor in these cases,” said a Nairobi-based urologist who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to comment publicly. “If the patient and the organ reach a capable centre quickly, chances of recovery are much higher.”
The man in Makueni remains under observation. Doctors at Makindu have not confirmed whether he will be transferred to a specialised facility for possible reconstructive surgery.
For now, his case underscores both the fragility of life in rural Kenya and the challenges hospitals face in handling some of the most complex emergencies.
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