Man on a mission: Top blood donor has saved lives 108 times so far

The will to save lives drives Alpha Kennedy Sanya to wake up each day with a single mission: to donate blood.

“If I could donate blood every day, I would. I’d wake up every morning and do it. But it can only be done once every three months,” says Sanya, the country’s highest blood donor.

According to data, every 10 minutes, about 10 Kenyans require blood. Among them are accident victims, women in delivery rooms and patients undergoing surgery. Sadly, many lose their lives simply because blood wasn’t available in time.

“I find joy when I hear someone had a successful surgery, that they’re alive and had enough blood,” he says.

“People survive accidents because someone, somewhere, donated blood,” Sanya says with conviction.

Today, as Kenya joins the global community in marking World Blood Donor Day, Sanya stands out as a symbol of selfless humanity—having donated blood an incredible 108 times.

Speaking to The Standard, he shares how each night he goes to bed praying that more Kenyans will embrace this life-saving act.

Unwavering commitment 

His unwavering commitment has inspired his family—wife and children—friends, and even the wider public. The Bishop of the ACK Nakuru Diocese now allows a blood drive to be held at the church every Sunday.

Sanya also visits schools to encourage students to become blood donors, planting seeds of compassion among the next generation.

“As a blood ambassador in Kenya, I always reach out to encourage people to come out and donate blood. If we had enough blood in Kenya, we could not have blood donation pleas and blood drives,” he observes.

Sanya first donated blood while in Form Three at Pumwani Boys High School in Nairobi—drawn by the offer of a slice of bread and a soda.

But what triggered the court prosecutor to religiously donate blood was the August 7, 1998 tragedy, when the US Embassy in Nairobi was bombed by al-Qaeda terrorists. “It bothered me that we had to import blood from South Africa and Israel to save Kenyan lives during a bomb blast,” he says. “I was hurt by the despair of those who needed the commodity. Did they survive, or did they die? I can only imagine.”

It was around this time that Sanya began donating blood every three months, a practice that has since become his calling. “This is my reward to Kenya and God, saving a life,” he says. Although the official age limit for blood donation is 65, Sanya vows to keep going for as long as God blesses him with good health.

Though he has saved the lives of many, he prides himself in saving the life of a boy in Kericho who needed an urgent blood transfusion before surgery.

Despite his demanding court duties, Sanya’s commitment to saving lives runs deep. On one occasion, a magistrate adjourned proceedings just to allow him to travel to Kericho and donate blood to help save a life.

“I would encourage Kenyans, especially our leaders, to come out and donate blood. What if we all donated blood during our birthdays?” he poses.

“It is my prayer that people heed this plea because you never know when you will need blood,” he adds.

He emphasises that anybody who is 50 kilograms and is good state of health should donate blood.

Sanya eats normal meals- ugali, vegetables, fermented milk, and fruits and trusts God in the process. He avoids alcohol, and cigarettes and exercise more to keep fit.

Shujaa award

Last year, he received state commendation from President William Ruto, he was named Shujaa. He also got the Head of State commendation award from former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

But even as he goes about mobilising blood drives to boost Kenyan’s blood banks, he is sometimes scolded, a move that disheartens him.

Sanya was named blood ambassador in 2023 alongside Caroline Wang’amati, Coalition of Blood for Africa team, Charlene Ruto and Asha Daffala, the leading female blood donor in the country.

Public sensitisation

Donors have played a vital role in boosting Kenya’s blood donation drive, according to the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS).

Kiprono Chepkok, Head of Partnerships and Country Support at KNBTS says all blood donors and ambassadors are celebrated for their life-saving contributions.

During a recent commemoration event in Samburu, KNBTS intensified public sensitisation on the importance of blood donation.

“We appointed blood ambassadors to mobilise youth groups and work through churches to enhance blood collection—and they have delivered. We’ve seen a notable increase in donations,” says Chepkok.

Kenya’s blood donation efforts have grown steadily in recent years. In 2020, 194,000 units were collected, rising to 294,000 in 2021, 348,000 in 2022, and 412,868 in 2023.

Last year, Kenya collected 458,000 pints of blood, a significant increase, but still shy of the World Health Organization (WHO) target, which recommends that at least one per cent of a country’s population donate blood annually for sustainability. Kenya needs 500,000 pints each year to meet this benchmark.

To close the gap, KNBTS is partnering with corporations, churches and community groups such as boda boda associations to conduct blood drives and raise awareness of the importance of blood donation.

“Though we haven’t reached our ultimate goal, we’ve achieved over 200 per cent growth in the last three years,” says Chepkok.

Despite ongoing sensitisation efforts, the national blood drive has faced funding challenges after the World Bank, its main donor, ended support in March.

The funding had been crucial in boosting blood drives across the country and procuring essential supplies such as reagents and blood storage equipment.

With donor support no longer available, Chepkok says the Ministry of Health is seeking new partners to bridge the funding gap.

“The Ministry is engaging with partners to fill the deficit and is also calling on the private sector and government agencies to explore ways of working together,” he said.