The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) was established in 1979 under the Science and Technology (Amendment) Act of that year to represent the national body responsible for carrying out health science research in Kenya.  Prior to the establishment of KEMRI, health research in Kenya was conducted under the auspices of the East African Medical Research Council, established in 1957 to serve the countries of the East African Community. Following the break-up of the East African Community in 1977, the Kenyan Parliament passed the Science and Technology Act i and amended it in 1979 to provide for the establishment of research institutes.

KEMRI’s areas of research include:

• Infectious diseases
• Epidemiology, public health, and health systems
• Parasitic diseases
• Biotechnology 
• Noncommunicable diseases