Police Storm U.S. Army HIV Research Clinic. 5/1/11
Claims that a minor had died there while donating blood.
Tirop Benedict
5 January 2011
Nairobi — Police in Kericho stormed a United States Military HIV Research Programme clinic following claims that a minor had died there while donating blood.
The officers forced their way into the heavily guarded facility and searched the blood donation tents. They found two women waiting for a medical check-up.
The officers, who were accompanied by Majengo Ward Councillor Elijah Ruto, later held talks with senior researchers at the facility.
On leaving they told journalists, who were barred from entering the clinic, that the death claims were false.
Police officers dispersed a crowd of onlookers milling around the facility.
A source, who requested anonymity as she was not authorised to talk to journalists, said the facility received hundreds of people who donate blood for research or to know their HIV status.
She disputed claims of people "selling blood", saying donors were adults who only did so after signing consent forms.
She added that blood donors were given Sh1,000 for transport back home "as most of them were quite sick and came from very poor backgrounds".
There have been allegations of a blood selling racket where brokers, who included commercial sex workers, lure girls to "donate" blood at the facility and then receive the "transport fees."
Efforts to get comments from the programme's deputy director, Dr Fredrick Sawe, failed as he was said to be out of the office.
Another official referred the Nation to the Kenya Medical Research Institute under which the project falls.
The Walter Reed Project, Kericho HIV Programme is led by US Department of Defence and Kenyan medical professionals. It does research at five other military bases in Kenya.
The mission of the programme is to develop and test improved means for predicting, detecting, preventing and treating infectious disease in East Africa.