Cost of DNA tests in Kenya rises to Sh27,000
KEMRI's Human DNA Identification Laboratory (HID) offers services such as paternity and family relationship testing, which have grown in demand in recent years.
Kenyans seeking DNA testing services will need to pay more following the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) announcement of a price hike for 2025.
The cost of DNA testing kits has increased by Sh7,000, bringing the new price to Sh27,000.
More To Read
"We wish to inform our valued customers of a marginal price adjustment for the DNA Testing Service from Sh20,000 to Sh27,000 starting this January 2025," KEMRI said in a notice on Wednesday.
KEMRI's Human DNA Identification Laboratory (HID) offers services such as paternity and family relationship testing, which have grown in demand in recent years.
The laboratory caters to private clients as well as referrals from courts, particularly in cases involving child support disputes.
This announcement comes amid a rising interest in DNA testing in Kenya.
However, KEMRI emphasized that DNA testing remains mandatory only in cases related to criminal investigations or court-ordered paternity disputes.
In 2023, DNA home test kits priced at Sh600 sparked public debate over their safety and accuracy.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) cautioned Kenyans against using these kits, stating that they were unauthorized for sale in Kenya.
"It has been brought to the attention of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) that unauthorised home DNA test kits are being marketed on digital platforms for retail in the Kenyan market," read the PPB statement.
The Ministry of Health also addressed misleading claims in April 2024 that the government planned to introduce mandatory DNA testing for newborns at birth.
The ministry clarified that there were no such policies in place.
