Murang’a County warns of healthcare disruption after Afya.ke shutdown

KENYA—Murang’a County has warned of possible disruptions to healthcare services in October 2026 after its Afya.ke digital health platform was switched off, forcing public hospitals and dispensaries to migrate to the national government’s health management system.

In a press statement, Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the shutdown could prevent healthcare workers from accessing patients’ medical histories while facilities transition to the replacement platform, which he referred to as Tibabu.

The county began automating its hospitals through Afya.ke between 2020 and 2023.

The system supports electronic patient records, prescriptions, laboratory results, billing and telemedicine, allowing healthcare workers to access information and consult patients remotely.

County cites revenue gains and patient record concerns

Kang’ata credited Afya.ke with improving revenue collection, saying annual health revenue had increased from KSh80 million (US$617,000) to KSh800 million (US$6.17 million) following its introduction.

He said the additional revenue had supported investments in healthcare infrastructure and medicine availability, citing developments at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital, Nyakianga Dispensary, Kirwara and Kandara hospitals, as well as the reopening of Kigumo Hospital.

The governor’s immediate concern, however, is the potential loss of access to historical patient records.

He warned that clinicians could face difficulties treating returning patients if they could not retrieve information recorded in the system since 2023.

Kang’ata also questioned the cost of migration, arguing that Afya.ke was provided free of charge while the replacement system would require payment.

He said the county would temporarily scale down services as staff adjusted to the new platform.

The governor asked residents to allow two to three days for the transition and said the county hoped to restore normal operations by Monday, October 19, subject to progress with the migration.

Dispute centres on national system integration

Kang’ata said Afya.ke originated within the national government before the county expanded its deployment in collaboration with software developers.

He alleged that the Digital Health Agency, Ministry of Health and Social Health Authority had declined to certify the system for health information exchange.

According to the governor, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale had previously assured him that Afya.ke would connect to the national infrastructure rather than be discontinued.

He said several meetings with national officials had failed to produce the proposed integration.

The specific reasons for the reported certification decision have not been independently established.

National digital health transition

The dispute comes amid Kenya’s wider transition to the Social Health Authority Health Management Information System (SHA HMIS), part of the government’s Taifa Care digital health reforms.

In an October 2 statement, the Ministry of Health said the transition from the SHA Provider Portal to the new system was expected to be completed by October 30, 2026.

The ministry said the migration was intended to improve health information management, claims processing and interoperability among healthcare providers.

It also maintained that the transition should not interrupt healthcare services, with patients continuing to receive care and eligible claims processed under applicable requirements.

The statement did not specifically address the reported Afya.ke shutdown in Murang’a.

The Digital Health Agency’s certification framework requires digital health systems to undergo assessments covering functionality, data security, privacy and interoperability before approval for deployment.

The transition raises operational concerns for county health systems, particularly the continuity of electronic records, integration with national platforms and the costs of replacing existing technology.

Murang’a’s migration will require facilities to maintain access to essential patient information while adapting to the replacement system.

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