Mukuruweini Member of Parliament John Kaguchia has raised alarm over an acute shortage of blood testing kits in the country, warning that the crisis could lead to increased fatalities among patients in need of transfusions.
Speaking at the National Assembly on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Kaguchia expressed concerns that the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) was running low on essential laboratory reagents and blood bag kits, hampering the availability of screened blood for transfusions.
He requested an urgent statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health regarding the crisis.
“The lack of testing kits has resulted in the wastage of donated blood, a critical resource in healthcare,” Kaguchia stated.
“If this issue is not urgently addressed, it will severely impact the supply of screened blood across the country, putting lives at risk,” he added.
The lawmaker called for immediate government intervention, demanding a report from the Ministry of Health on measures being taken to address the crisis.
“What immediate measures is the government taking to ensure uninterrupted provision of screened blood for transfusion to patients, especially those currently in need? What long-term strategies are in place to mitigate the risk and ensure a constant supply of essential medical testing kits?” he posed.
Kaguchia also emphasized the need for sufficient funding and facilitation of the KNBTS to enable it to fulfill its mandate effectively.
“This is an urgent matter that should not wait,” he added. “The Cabinet Secretary for Health needs to provide a response as soon as possible. The shortage affects millions of Kenyans.”
In response, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed the Departmental Committee on Health to provide a comprehensive report on the matter by April 1, 2025.
Blood shortage in Kenya
This is not the first time Kenya has faced a critical blood-related shortage.
On December 13, 2024, the country was put at risk due to a severe blood supply crisis, threatening emergency medical and surgical services nationwide.
Health stakeholders expressed alarm over the dwindling reserves, which they attributed largely to the closure of schools, as secondary school students are traditionally the largest donors during nationwide blood drives.
At the time, Gladys Omwenga, the head of blood transfusion at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, emphasized a critical shortage of Rhesus-negative, O-negative, O-positive, and B-positive blood types in many regions of the country.
