DCI Opens Probe into How Blood Donated by Kenyans is Illegally Sold Abroad

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have opened a probe into claims that blood donated by Kenyans is being illegally sold abroad. 

Reports indicate that the blood is mostly sold in neighboring Somalia by a cartel comprising officers from the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS), which is under the Ministry of Health.

The current shortage of blood in the country is said to have been contributed by the illegal blood business and detectives are seeking to establish the role played by KNBTS officers in criminal activity.

On Wednesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed the matter is currently under investigation, terming the illegal sale of blood as unfortunate.

“The Ministry is aware that there are criminal elements both within and outside the country who are colluding with outsiders to escalate the problems pertaining to blood countrywide,” said CS Kagwe.

“These cartels have been engaged in blood trade within as well as outside the country for selfish gain without any regard to women and children who are dying in hospitals as a result of this shortage.”

KNBTS, which runs Kenya’s only blood bank, blams the shortage of the commodity to the withdrawal of the US government’s PEPFAR funding.