The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has dismissed claims circulating on social media alleging that it releases mosquitoes in Kenya, terming the accusations false and misleading.
In a statement issued on February 9, the foundation said it does not release mosquitoes anywhere in the world, does not operate laboratories that release insects, and does not run mosquito or vector-control activities in Nairobi or any other location.
“The Gates Foundation does not release mosquitoes, operate laboratories that do so, or run vector-control activities in Nairobi or anywhere else,” the statement read.
The claims, which have spread across various social media platforms, allege that the foundation is involved in secret mosquito releases linked to disease research or population control. The foundation said the posts are incorrect and risk spreading fear and confusion among the public.
According to the organization, malaria prevention and control efforts in Kenya are led by Kenyan authorities and institutions, guided by national laws, public health policies, and strict regulatory oversight. It emphasized that all malaria-related activities in the country are managed by Kenyan government ministries, public health bodies, and research institutions.
The foundation said its role in Kenya is limited to supporting Kenyan-led priorities in health and development. Its support includes funding research, improving access to prevention tools, and strengthening health systems through proven interventions such as insecticide-treated bed nets, improved diagnostics, effective medicines, and enhanced disease surveillance systems.
All supported activities, it noted, are carried out by Kenyan institutions or international partners working with the approval of Kenyan authorities. The foundation also stressed that its grants, partnerships, and objectives are publicly available and subject to oversight by governments and independent bodies.
The allegations appear to partly stem from mosquito research projects conducted in other countries. For over a decade, the foundation has funded malaria research globally, including studies involving genetically modified mosquitoes undertaken by independent research institutions and biotechnology companies.
One such initiative frequently cited online is the Target Malaria project, which operated in parts of West and East Africa, including Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Uganda. The project focused on genetically modified male mosquitoes designed to reduce malaria transmission. According to project documentation, the mosquitoes do not bite humans and were released only after approval from national regulators in the respective countries.
Online discussion in Kenya intensified in 2024 and 2025 during legal and political debates surrounding the foundation’s status in the country, including court cases challenging privileges and immunities granted to it. Some social media users linked these legal proceedings to allegations of undisclosed activities, including mosquito releases, although no official records were cited to support the claims.
The foundation urged the public to rely on verified information from credible sources, warning that misinformation can distract from critical health priorities and undermine efforts to protect vulnerable populations.
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