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A team of surgeons at Kenyatta National Hospital has achieved a world first—restoring the sensation of touch to the stump of an amputated arm, offering new hope to amputees globally.
The pioneering surgery, known as Transhumeral Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR), was successfully performed on April 29 on Moses Mwendwa, a 22-year-old university student whose left arm was amputated earlier this year. The delicate, seven-hour operation reconnected nerves severed during the amputation to nearby skin, allowing the brain to feel as if the missing limb is still intact.
“When I touched the skin near my stump and felt it in my fingers, I was stunned. It felt like a part of me had returned,” Mwendwa said.
Led by plastic surgeon Prof. Ferdinand Nang’ole and Dr. Benjamin Wabwire, alongside visiting Italian specialist Prof. Alexander Gardetto, the multidisciplinary team conducted the complex procedure during Africa’s inaugural TSR surgical camp hosted at KNH.
The effort brought together anaesthesiologists, surgical nurses, and plastic surgery specialists, including Dr. Christine Nyabuto, Dr. Rachel Machiya, Dr. Dorsi Jowi, and anaesthetists Dr. John Mwanzia and Dr. Ruth Nyambura. The nursing unit was coordinated by Mr. Erick Odongo, with Ms. Mercy Chepkemoi, Ms. Esther Munga, and Ms. Catherine Muthengi offering critical support in theatre.
Moses Mwendwa, a 22-year-old software engineering student, became the first person in the world to regain sensation after a transhumeral amputation, following a groundbreaking nerve surgery performed by doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital.
KNH CEO Dr. Evanson Kamuri hailed the accomplishment as a triumph of innovation and teamwork: “This is a milestone that cements our position as a leader in specialised care and medical research in Africa.”
Mwendwa’s journey to this breakthrough was marked by unexpected tragedy. In January, he slipped and fell after a church service in Nairobi’s Ziwani neighbourhood. What initially seemed minor turned into a medical emergency—a rare but serious condition called compartment syndrome developed, cutting off blood flow to his left arm. Despite initial consultations at two different hospitals, the diagnosis was delayed. He was finally rushed to KNH, where surgeons performed emergency procedures. But by January 24, his arm had to be amputated.
For weeks, the loss haunted him.
“I couldn’t believe it. One moment I was writing code; the next, I didn’t know if I’d ever feel whole again,” he recalled.
Now, thanks to a bold new frontier in reconstructive surgery, he’s beginning to rebuild that sense of wholeness.
“This is not just about science. It’s about restoring humanity—one nerve, one touch at a time,” said Dr. Wabwire.
