Kenya seeks to strengthen cold-chain systems for medical research

Bwosi Investments Limited Managing Director Rogers Bwosi during the official launch of Marken Medical Logistics depot in Mavoko on August 28, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Kenya’s medical research and disease surveillance is expected to get a boost from increased access to dry ice and specialised cold-chain services, researchers say.

The cold chain is critical in keeping biological samples such as blood, serum and materials used in viral and bacterial research at the required temperatures from collection to the laboratory.

Milka Mwangi, representing the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Vice Chancellor, said gaps in cold-chain facilities, particularly outside Nairobi, can make it difficult to maintain samples at low temperatures.

“Viral and bacterial research needs to be maintained in the cold chain,” she said.

She said the challenge is also felt during disease outbreaks, when samples collected from different parts of the country have to be transported to laboratories for investigation and confirmation.

Kenya is also a regional centre for research and diagnostics, with samples from other countries sometimes sent here for confirmation and genomic testing.

Mwangi cited Mpox and Ebola among diseases where maintaining the integrity of samples during transportation is important.

She said access to dry ice is particularly important for samples requiring very low temperatures, but supplies can sometimes be limited.

“There are companies that manufacture dry ice, but they are not many. Sometimes there are long queues for the dry ice,” she said.

Increasing the number of suppliers, she added, would provide an alternative when demand rises and help ensure continuity in research and clinical work.

John Luke, a representative of clinical research logistics company Marken, said Kenya has an active research sector but still has gaps in the storage of pharmaceuticals used in clinical trials.

Kenya has become an important location for healthcare, research and clinical trials, he said, increasing the need for specialised storage and transportation.

The gap is being addressed partly through a new cold-chain facility by Bwosi Investment Limited, which has also started producing dry ice locally.

Group Managing Director Rodgers Obwosi said the company handles temperature-sensitive products from importation and storage to sample collection, packaging and transportation to airports.

He said transporting samples from clinical trials requires careful handling because some are collected from participants who can be difficult to recruit, and samples cannot simply be replaced if they are damaged.

The samples may require specialised packaging and dry ice to keep them at the required temperature throughout transportation.

“Every second matters in the business of cold chain,” Obwosi said.

The company is working with Marken to provide a local depot for pharmaceuticals used in clinical trials, allowing supplies to be stored closer to research sites rather than being imported only when required.

Obwosi said the facility is registered and regulated by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and is required to meet standards for pharmaceutical storage and shipment.

The company is among firms cleared by the regulator to provide the services.

Mwangi said improving cold-chain capacity would benefit not only clinical trials but also routine diagnostics, research and the movement of samples during disease outbreaks.

She said biological materials collected outside major towns need to reach specialised laboratories without their temperature requirements being compromised.

As Kenya continues to handle research and diagnostic work for the region, she said, strengthening the systems used to collect, store and transport samples will remain important to medical research and public health.