Committee proposes establishment of national deceased organ donation programme
Deceased organ donation involves retrieving organs and tissues from individuals declared legally dead.
A technical committee appointed by the Health Ministry has recommended the creation of a national deceased organ donation programme as part of efforts to expand access to transplants and restore public confidence in Kenya’s medical system.
The National Technical Committee on the Development of Tissue and Organ Transplant Services, chaired by Prof Elizabeth Anne Bukusi, says Kenya’s organ transplant system is under pressure due to its heavy reliance on living, related donors.
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The committee’s report notes that this model has failed to meet demand for critical organs such as hearts, lungs, livers, and corneas, which can only be sourced from deceased donors.
“To achieve the above objective, the government will engage the public, polity, religious, and cultural groups to increase awareness, benefits, safety, and acceptability of deceased organ donation,” the Committee stated.
Deceased organ donation involves retrieving organs and tissues from individuals declared legally dead.
Organs that can be donated include kidneys, hearts, livers, lungs, and pancreases, while corneas, skin, tendons, and heart valves can also be used for transplantation.
To operationalise the proposed system, the Committee is calling for the establishment of a national organ procurement organisation that will coordinate all deceased donor processes, from consent and recovery to allocation and delivery.
The team also recommends the rollout of specialised training programmes for healthcare workers in both public and private hospitals to support ethical and medically sound transplant practices.
“It is essential to build capacity in both public and private health facilities to handle the ethical, clinical, and operational demands of a functional deceased organ transplant system,” the report states.
The Committee was formed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale following widespread concern over malpractice in the sector, including complaints involving Mediheal and fears of unethical organ trade.
Its members include clinicians, legal scholars, ethicists, public health experts, and a patient advocate.
The report points to the need for stronger oversight and infrastructure to guide Kenya’s transplant services. The Committee believes that introducing a deceased donor system will not only ease the burden on living donors but also help ensure fairness, safety, and greater access to organs for those in urgent need.
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