Organ donation and Transplant Bill passed with life imprisonment penalty

By Francis Lubega

29^th Sept 2022

Parliament has passed the Uganda Human Organ Donation and Transplant Bill 2022 setting tough penalties for dealing in human organs for commercial purposes.

The Uganda Human Organ Donation and Transplant Bill, 2022 seeks to establish a legal framework for organ, cell and tissue transplant in Uganda.

The Bill also sought to regulate the conduct of donation and transplant activities in the country.

It establishes the Uganda Organ and Transplant Council to oversee and regulate organ and cell donation and transplantation in Uganda.

The bill was on Wednesday introduced for second reading by the Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng who informed MPs that the objective of the bill is to establish a legal framework for the regulation of organ, cell and tissue donation and transplantation in Uganda.

At the presentation time by the ministry of health, a penalty or fine had not been stipulated but parliament’s health committee chaired by Koboko Municipality MP Charles Ayume proposed a 10 billion shillings fine for persons who deal in human organs and tissue for commercial purposes which were later approved by parliament.

Parliament has also prohibited hospitals from engaging in transplantation of organs without getting a license and persons who contravene this clause will be liable after conviction and imprisonment not exceeding 12 years or a fine of 2 billion shillings.

Parliament has also made it illegal for a person to receive any earnings from the sale of their organs stating that monetary or any other form of compensation for organs, tissues or cells other than reimbursement of donation related expenses is prohibited.

Ayume has emphasized that if a person who is involved in the donation of an organ incurs any loss of earnings, he should go to the Donation and Transplant Council that will be responsible for deciding on any compensation.

The bill has also permitted the donation of only tissues in children of the same identity at a minor age but prohibited donation of organs in children.