The Ministry of Health has dismissed allegations that Kenya exports donated human blood or blood components for use in manufacturing blood-derived products abroad, clarifying that all blood collected through the national blood transfusion system is strictly used for domestic medical purposes.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the claims are based on a misinterpretation of international trade data and risk misleading the public. The clarification follows references to the World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) 2024 trade data under the category “human and animal blood and microbial cultures.”
The Ministry explained that this classification is a broad international customs category that includes a wide range of biological and laboratory products such as vaccines, antisera, toxins, microbial cultures, and diagnostic materials. It stressed that it does not refer to donated human blood used in hospital transfusion services.
The Ministry further noted that the reported figures may also reflect activities by multinational companies operating regional logistics and distribution hubs in Kenya, which handle pharmaceutical and laboratory products for redistribution within the East African region.
Reiterating its position, the Ministry stated that Kenya does not export donated blood or blood components for processing into products such as clotting factors, immunoglobulins, or albumin. It also clarified that the country does not carry out plasma fractionation or manufacture antisera for diagnostic or blood grouping purposes. All such specialised blood products used locally are imported from accredited international manufacturers.
“The classification being cited is a standard global trade category that covers a broad range of biological and laboratory products and should not be confused with donated blood used for transfusion,” said CS Aden Duale. He added, “Kenya does not export donated human blood or its components for commercial or industrial processing. All donated blood is reserved strictly for domestic medical use.”
The Ministry cautioned against misinterpretation of trade statistics, warning that incorrect readings can fuel misinformation and unnecessary public concern. It urged citizens to rely on verified government sources for accurate health information and indicated it will work with investigative agencies to address the spread of misleading health-related claims.
The statement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the health sector. In August 2023, the Ministry, through the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services (KBTTS), received allegations of suspected organ trafficking in Eldoret from the Transplantation Society, a non-governmental organisation.
In response, a multidisciplinary fact-finding team was formed in December 2023, comprising transplant specialists, bioethicists, representatives from KBTTS, officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), senior Ministry officials, and academic experts. The team was tasked with reviewing the allegations, auditing transplant procedures at Mediheal Hospital, and assessing compliance with clinical, ethical, and legal standards.
However, the Cabinet Secretary informed Parliament that the resulting report was not unanimously agreed upon and was therefore not formally adopted by the Ministry, making it non-binding.
On 25 April 2025, the CS suspended officials at KBTTS to allow for an independent review, leading to the establishment of the Independent Investigative Committee on Organ Transplant Services (IICOTS). The committee, drawn from public and private institutions, professional bodies, and regulators, was mandated to audit transplant facilities, investigate governance and clinical practices, and assess ethical and patient safety compliance.
The committee submitted its final report in July 2025, with several recommendations already being implemented. Parliament has also completed its own investigations, though the Ministry is yet to receive the official report. Meanwhile, inquiries by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are still ongoing. The government says it will await all findings before taking further action.
