Kenyans suffering from chronic illnesses that require transplants and live in desperation after failing to get Good Samaritans to donate the needed body organs could soon smile if a proposed bill, sponsored by Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje, sails through.

The 2024 Human Tissue and Organ Transplantation Bill that seeks to replace the Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority with the Kenya Tissue and Organ Transplantation Authority lays down legal guidelines on organ and tissue donations and transplants.

Besides empowering relatives of deceased persons to decide whether to donate organs and tissues for transplant and research, the bill, if passed into law, would also make it easier for individuals to leave a will indicating the organs they would wish to be donated upon their death.

World over, the gap between the demand for organ and tissue donations and the supply of viable donors has reached crisis levels.
Every day, millions of individuals wait in desperate need of life-saving transplants, while others die before they ever receive the help they so desperately need.

According to the World Health Organisation, over 130,000 people globally are currently on organ transplant waiting lists.

In many cases, the individuals face long delays, and the unfortunate reality is that many will never make it off the list alive.

Organ donation, particularly for kidney, heart, liver and lungs, can be a matter of life and death, and Mwenje’s proposed law aims to create a system that can help bridge the gap between need and supply.

Besides saving lives, organ and tissue donations can significantly improve the quality of life for recipients.

A successful kidney transplant, for example, can transform the life of patients, allowing them to return to a normal lifestyle without the need for dialysis.

Similarly, corneal transplants can restore sight to people who have been blind for years, while bone marrow donations can cure certain types of blood cancers like leukaemia. These improvements go beyond physical health — they enable recipients to regain their independence, pursue their dreams and participate fully in society.

MPs must seize the opportunity to make a difference in the most profound way possible by passing the bill.