Kenya’s Ministry of Health announced plans to relocate critical health data hosted in the United States to local servers, following severe funding cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Donald Trump’s administration. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 25, emphasized the urgency of the move, citing vulnerabilities exposed by the abrupt loss of USAID support. The decision, reported by TechCabal, affects digital health platforms central to Kenya’s healthcare system, including the Kenya Health Information System (KHIS2), Kenya Master Health Facility List (KMFL), Afya KE, KenyaEMR, Chanjo KE, Damu KE, and Kemsa I-LMIS, all previously developed and maintained with USAID funding.
These platforms underpin Kenya’s ability to track diseases, manage patient treatments, distribute vaccines, and operate rural health clinics, processing data from over 9,000 facilities nationwide. The Kenya Health Information System, built on the open-source DHIS2 platform, is particularly critical for disease surveillance and health planning. Since March 2025, Kenyan officials have reported restricted access to these systems due to USAID’s funding freeze, initiated by Trump’s January 20 executive order (EO 14169) imposing a 90-day halt on foreign aid, followed by the termination of 90% of USAID contracts. The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) confirmed in May that Kenya lost access to KHIS2 data, hampering efforts to monitor HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other public health trends.
USAID’s 2020–2025 strategic plan had pledged $2.5 billion to Kenya, with 80% ($471 million annually) allocated to healthcare, supporting 1.3 million people on antiretroviral therapy (ART), malaria prevention, and maternal and child health programs. The cuts have created a $403.8 million (KES 52 billion) budget gap, exacerbating Kenya’s reliance on donor aid amid chronic underfunding and systemic corruption. The Ministry of Health reported in April that maintenance gaps and technology shortages now threaten Kenya’s capacity to respond to outbreaks, with rural clinics—serving millions—particularly vulnerable. Posts on X, including @TechCabal and @KenyaInsights, underscored the crisis, questioning Kenya’s financial ability to transition systems locally, while @thestarhealthke noted that most national health records depended on U.S. funding until the February cuts.
Duale highlighted the need for “secure, locally managed data systems” to ensure healthcare resilience, but budget constraints pose significant challenges. Kenya’s health sector, ranked fifth globally among USAID beneficiaries, received over $1.26 trillion (KES 162 trillion) in U.S. health aid from 2001 to 2024. The sudden freeze has left 41,500 healthcare workers, employed through PEPFAR, facing layoffs, per Dr. Ruth Laibon of the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council. Programs for HIV testing, ART, and maternal health have slowed or halted, with no clear timeline for local server deployment. A 90-day U.S. waiver allows limited supply of HIV test kits and ART, but experts warn of long-term risks, including increased HIV transmission and drug resistance, as noted by former USAID advisor Kaleb Brownlow.
The crisis has sparked calls for self-reliance. Health economist Regina Ombam, Kenya’s permanent secretary of trade, urged African nations to fund their health needs, citing lessons from COVID-19 vaccine inequities. The Africa CDC, with a proposed $1 billion annual budget, could lead regional responses, as demonstrated by its $2 million support for Tanzania’s Marburg outbreak. However, Kenya’s transition faces technical hurdles, with 40% of Kenya Medical Research Institute (KeMRI) programs, including HIV vaccine trials, stalled, risking 824 jobs. Analysts suggest domestic resource mobilization and anti-corruption measures to bridge the gap, but with Kenya’s GDP growth lagging and a projected 6% naira depreciation by mid-2026, the path to digital health sovereignty remains uncertain, threatening millions dependent on these systems.
