NAIROBI, Kenya – A new report has revealed that most organ transplant facilities in Kenya are not subjected to regular inspections after their initial certification, exposing the country to increased risks of unethical practices, medical malpractice, and potential organ trafficking.
The Committee on Tissue and Organ Transplant Services, chaired by renowned researcher Prof. Elizabeth Anne Bukusi, has raised alarm over widespread regulatory gaps in the oversight of transplant operations across Kenya.
The committee was appointed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale following rising public concern and allegations of unethical transplant procedures.
“Most transplant facilities are not regularly inspected after initial certification, and there is no national transplant registry,” the report states.
Fragmented Oversight, Weak Standards
The report underscores a critical lack of a unified legal or regulatory authority to manage transplant services in the country.
Instead, oversight responsibilities are dispersed across several agencies with unclear mandates and weak coordination, leaving serious loopholes in enforcement.
Key findings include:
- Only 25% of kidney transplant centres had fully trained multidisciplinary teams.
- 45% of facilities lacked Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Nearly 60% exhibited poor documentation, including inadequate consent processes.
- Only 30% had donor follow-up systems, while none provided structured post-donation medical or psychological support.
Specialized areas such as clinical pathology and immunology, crucial to safe transplant procedures, were also found to be poorly regulated or not formally recognized, further weakening the country’s ability to ensure ethical and clinical standards.
Living Donors Still the Norm
The committee noted that Kenya’s transplant ecosystem is heavily reliant on living, related donors, a practice that can limit access and raise ethical challenges in the absence of a functional deceased donor programme and national registry.
“Kenya’s transplant landscape is marked by inadequate clinical standards, weak donor care systems, insufficient infrastructure, and poor documentation,” the report concluded.
Call for Regulatory Reform
The committee includes clinicians, ethicists, legal experts, public health professionals, and a patient advocate.
It recommends the creation of a centralized national authority to regulate organ and tissue transplants, develop a comprehensive transplant registry, and ensure routine inspections of certified facilities.
Health stakeholders are also pushing for reforms to enhance donor protections, ensure ethical organ harvesting, and build public trust in the country’s transplant system.
