The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is a government institution that was established in 1979 to carry out medical research. Since its interception, KEMRI has been able to play an important role in the fight of notorious diseases such as Malaria, Pneumonia, Meningitis, HIV and malnutrition.
Among the services that KEMRI offers is Human DNA Identification. This is done at their state of the art laboratory. DNA testing is usually done for legal or personal knowledge. A legal DNA test requires a chain of custody documentation process to ensure that the results are legally defensible in a court of law. A legal DNA test also requires an impartial third party in the laboratory to collect the sample. On top of that, the individuals tested are positively identified by providing a government-issued ID. A DNA test done for personal knowledge is less rigorous compared to the legal one.
Types Of DNA Testing
KEMRI offers testing services for family relationship testing, individual DNA profiling, and forensic DNA analysis. Family relationship testing can be for a Paternity test, Maternity test or Siblingship. A DNA paternity test determines whether a tested man is the biological father of a tested child while a DNA maternity test determines whether a tested woman is the biological mother of a tested child. Maternity tests have helped in the recent past to resolve cases of baby mix-ups in hospitals. Siblingship test can either be full or half; Full Siblingship test is done with two alleged full siblings with or without a common parent while half siblingship is done with two alleged half-siblings with or without common parents.
Forensic DNA testing is mostly used to identify victims of natural disasters, finding a suspect, and solving crimes such as rape and incest.
Individual DNA profiling is done by private individuals who choose to obtain records of their DNA profiles in case identification is ever needed in future. This is can be done to safeguard rightful heirs, avoid expensive exhumations if your DNA profile may be required in the future or as a precaution for any possible future identification/verification requirements e.g. in cases of kidnapping, accidental death, an act of Terrorism.
KEMRI take 5 -10 working days to process the results of the tests.
KEMRI DNA Testing Charges
|
DNA Testing Option |
Cost |
|
Paternity Test: Mother, Child and Alleged Father OR Child and Alleged Father without mother |
Ksh 20,000 |
|
Maternity Test: Mother and child |
Ksh 20,000 |
|
Full Siblingship. Two alleged full siblings with or without common parent |
Ksh 20,000 |
|
Half sibling ship. Two alleged half siblings with or without common parents |
Ksh 20,000 |
|
DNA Profile Individual |
Ksh 10,000 |
KEMRI Contacts
KEMRI Contacts
You can contact KEMRI using the avenues below for further information
Phone: 0771414062, 0772727401
Email: hidinfo@kemri.org
Address: KEMRI Headquarters, Mbagathi Road, Production Department
