The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) was established in the year 2000 in the Ministry of Health. Its mandate is to collect, test, and process and distribute blood and blood products to all transfusing hospitals in Kenya.

KNBTS has six Regional Blood Transfusion Centres (RBTCs) namely Nairobi, Embu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Mombasa and 14 satellite centers located in Machakos, Kisii, Voi, Meru, Naivasha, Kakamega, Kericho, Nyeri, Garissa, Malindi, Thika, Lodwar, Bungoma and Kitale.

Functionally all the six RBTCs and fourteen satellites carry out blood collections, grouping, storage and distribution except for Naivasha and Kericho. Blood testing and processing is restricted to the six RBTCs except for preparation of packed red cells that is also done at a few selected satellites.