Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has denied claims that the Ministry of Health switched off the Afya Ke digital health system in Murang’a county, saying the platform is a private arrangement between the county government and its developers.
In a clarification issued Thursday, October 15, the ministry said it neither owns, controls nor manages the system and does not have its source code, disputing allegations by Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata that the national government had disabled the platform.
“The Ministry of Health has not switched off the Afya Ke system. The Ministry neither owns, controls, nor manages the system, nor does it have the source code, contrary to the allegations,” Duale said in the statement.
The dispute centres on the operation of Afya Ke, a digital health platform used in Murang’a, with the Ministry distancing itself from claims that it had interfered with the system.
Duale also dismissed suggestions that the Digital Health Agency (DHA) had refused to certify the platform, saying neither the developers nor the county government had submitted an application for certification.
“The Digital Health Agency (DHA) has also not refused to certify the Afya Ke system. Neither the Afya Ke developers nor Murang’a County has applied for certification,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry urged the governor to refrain from making what it described as misleading statements, warning that such claims could cause unnecessary concern among residents and healthcare stakeholders.
“The governor should therefore refrain from making misleading statements that could misinform the public and cause unnecessary concern among residents and healthcare stakeholders,” the statement added.
The clarification comes amid concerns over the reliability and management of digital health systems as counties implement technology-driven platforms to support healthcare delivery.
Addressing the press on Wednesday, Kang’ata protested the disruption of healthcare services in the county after its Afya.ke digital health platform was allegedly switched off, forcing facilities to prepare for a transition to a different system.
He said the shutdown could leave health workers unable to retrieve patients’ medical histories and temporarily interrupt services as the county migrates to the national government’s health management platform.
The governor said the county had started the transition but warned that facilities would require time to restore normal operations.
“Since the year 2020-2023, Murang’a government automated all its hospitals through Afya.ke system,” Kang’ata said.
The platform enables hospitals to record patient information, prescriptions, laboratory results and billing electronically. Its functions also include facilitating remote consultations between healthcare workers and patients in different locations.
“It is like M-Pesa for hospitals. It allows a doctor in Murang’a to treat a patient in Afia dispensary through things like telemedicine,” he said.
Kang’ata attributed improvements in health revenue collection to the system, saying the county's annual collections had risen from Sh80 million to Sh800 million after its introduction. He said the additional revenue had supported infrastructure expansion and improved medicine availability.
The Ministry, however, sought to reassure residents that the dispute would not affect access to treatment under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
It said all SHA beneficiaries in Murang’a would continue accessing healthcare services through the established SHA systems without interruption.
“We wish to assure the public that all Social Health Authority (SHA) beneficiaries in Murang’a will continue to access healthcare services without interruption via the established SHA systems,” Duale said.
The ministry added that it remained committed to supporting Murang’a County in advancing its digital health agenda, just as it does with other county governments.
It also reiterated its commitment to ensuring continuity of healthcare services and supporting the effective implementation of digital health systems nationwide.
