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| Jeremy and Charles pictured with their family after being discharged from hospital. |
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has made global medical history after performing two rare nerve reconstruction surgeries on patients who lost their limbs in separate accidents including a four-year-old boy from Kirinyaga County and a 43-year-old painter from Ngong.
The operations, conducted on October 29 and 30, 2026 involved a specialised procedure known as Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR) which redirects sensory nerves to create the possibility of restoring touch sensations through appropriately fitted prosthetic limbs.
The first patient was Jeremy, a four-year-old boy from Kirinyaga County who lost his left hand in a chaff-cutter accident while playing with another child. Doctors initially attempted to reattach the hand but the effort was unsuccessful and it was eventually amputated.
Jeremy underwent a five-and-a-half-hour operation on October 29 led by Italian Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Professor Alexander Gardetto working alongside KNH specialists including Dr Christine Nyabuto. According to the hospital, Jeremy is the world's youngest known recipient to undergo the specialised procedure.
His mother, Mercy Muthoni expressed gratitude to KNH for the care and support extended to her son following the accident and during his treatment.
The second patient Charles Mogire, a 43-year-old painter from Ngong underwent a similar but more specialised operation on October 30. Mogire lost both arms following a severe electrical accident in November 2025. His left arm was amputated at the shoulder while his dominant right arm was amputated above the elbow.
Following the accident, he received emergency treatment, skin grafting and further medical care at KNH before doctors identified him as a suitable candidate for the specialised nerve reconstruction procedure.
His five-hour operation involved the transhumeral version of Targeted Sensory Reinnervation, a technique designed for patients who have undergone above-elbow amputations. KNH said Mogire became only the third patient globally to undergo this particular version of the procedure.
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| Italian consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon Professor Alexander Gardetto performing the surgery alongside Kenyatta National Hospital specialists. |
The hospital also reported that his operation was completed in less time than the first recorded procedure of its kind which lasted slightly more than seven hours.
For Mogire, the surgery offers hope of regaining some sense of touch through a prosthetic right arm. This could be particularly important because his dominant arm was among those lost in the accident. With appropriate prosthetic support and rehabilitation, he hopes to become more independent and eventually return to his painting profession.
His wife, Beatrice Moraa described the operation as a turning point for their family reflecting the hope that the treatment has brought following the life-changing accident.
WHAT THE RARE SURGERY MEANS FOR THE TWO PATIENTS
Targeted Sensory Reinnervation is a specialised operation that works with nerves that remain after a person loses a limb. Surgeons redirect selected sensory nerves to new areas of surviving skin allowing them to grow and form new connections.
After healing and rehabilitation, touching the affected skin can produce sensations that the brain interprets as coming from the missing limb. When combined with an appropriately integrated prosthetic limb, the technique may allow a patient to experience sensations such as pressure, vibration, heat and cold.
In simple terms, it could help an amputee feel some of the things their artificial hand or arm touches instead of relying entirely on their eyes to know when they are holding or touching an object.
For Jeremy, the procedure could help him develop sensory feedback through a prosthetic hand as he grows. For Mogire, it could help him regain some sensation through a prosthetic right arm potentially making it easier to interact with objects and carry out everyday activities.
The procedure does not regrow missing limbs or automatically restore movement. Its success depends on nerve healing, rehabilitation and the availability of suitable prosthetic technology. The two patients will therefore need continued medical follow-up as they recover.
The technique may also help address complications associated with amputation including painful neuromas which are nerve growths that can develop after an amputation and some phantom-limb sensations where a person feels pain, tingling or other sensations in a limb that is no longer there.
A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR KENYA'S HEALTHCARE SECTOR
The two operations highlight the growing capacity of Kenyan specialists to perform highly complex medical procedures locally. They were carried out through a collaboration involving Professor Gardetto and KNH medical teams with the initiative now in its second year and supporting the transfer of specialised surgical skills to local doctors.
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| Italian Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Professor Alexander Gardetto pictured with the KNH medical team. |
The procedures involved multidisciplinary teams with oversight from KNH specialists including Dr Benjamin Wabwire and Professor Ferdinand Nang'ole.
KNH said both surgeries were fully covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA) allowing the patients to access the specialised treatment without paying the surgical costs out of pocket.
Following the operations, Jeremy and Mogire received post-operative care and clinical monitoring before being discharged to recover at home with continued follow-up and rehabilitation.
The achievement is significant not only for the two patients and their families but also for Kenya's medical sector. It demonstrates that advanced reconstructive procedures that have been performed in only a few cases worldwide can also be undertaken in the country.
For Jeremy and Mogire, the operations represent renewed hope of improving their quality of life after losing their limbs. Although the long-term results are yet to be established, the procedures offer a new possibility of restoring some sensory feedback and helping them adapt to life with prosthetic limbs.