Health services in Murang’a County have been disrupted after access to the AfyaKE digital health platform was lost, raising concerns over patient records, hospital operations and millions of shillings in SHA claims.
Several health facilities in Murang’a County have scaled down services after patient treatment records stored on the AfyaKE digital platform became inaccessible.
Governor Irungu Kang’ata has accused the national government of shutting down the system, warning that the disruption could affect patients who depend on digital medical records and healthcare services across the county.
The outage has also reportedly left the county unable to access some claims submitted to the Social Health Authority (SHA), raising concerns about hospital revenue and the cost of transitioning to a replacement system.
However, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has denied that the Ministry of Health switched off AfyaKE, saying the ministry neither owns nor controls the system.
The disagreement has sparked a wider debate about digital healthcare, patient data security and the transition to a nationally integrated health information system.
How AfyaKE Shutdown Disrupted Murang’a Hospitals
According to Kang’ata, the disruption began on October 13, 2026, initially affecting Level Two and Level Three health facilities before extending to other hospitals, including Murang’a Level Five Hospital.
The governor said the loss of access had affected the retrieval of patient information and disrupted some hospital operations.
AfyaKE has been used to manage electronic medical records, prescriptions, laboratory results, pharmacy services, billing and referrals. It has also supported telemedicine, allowing health workers to consult patients remotely.
The system reportedly held patient information dating back to 2023.
Kang’ata warned that losing access to these records could complicate treatment, particularly for patients whose medical histories, previous prescriptions and laboratory results are stored digitally.
The county is working to move its facilities to a replacement platform, with health workers expected to undergo training before normal operations resume.
The governor said the transition would involve all 170 county health facilities, although the migration timeline and the extent to which records can be transferred remain important issues.
Kang’ata Accuses National Government of Switching Off System
Kang’ata has blamed the national government for the disruption, claiming the county was being compelled to abandon AfyaKE and adopt a different health management platform.
He said he had previously received assurances from Duale that AfyaKE would be connected to the SHA system rather than discontinued.
The governor argued that the decision had disrupted a digital system the county had relied on for several years.
He also questioned the cost implications of moving to the replacement platform, claiming AfyaKE had been available to the county without the charges he expects under the new arrangement.
The county has maintained that it wants to preserve access to patient information while ensuring its hospitals can continue submitting claims and receiving reimbursements through SHA.
Duale Denies Ministry Shut Down AfyaKE
Duale has rejected the allegations, saying the Ministry of Health did not shut down AfyaKE.
In a statement issued on October 15, the ministry said it neither owned nor managed the platform and did not possess its source code.
The ministry described AfyaKE as an arrangement involving the county and its software developers, disputing the claim that the national government directly disabled the system.
The disagreement centres partly on whether AfyaKE met the requirements for certification and integration with the national health information exchange.
The Digital Health Agency oversees the certification framework for digital health systems, including requirements intended to support secure information sharing and interoperability.
The county has questioned why its platform was not connected to the national system, while the ministry has disputed the allegations surrounding responsibility for the outage.
Neither side’s public statements, on their own, establish precisely what caused the system to become inaccessible.
Millions of Shillings in SHA Claims at Risk
The disruption has also raised financial concerns for Murang’a County.
According to reports, the county has been unable to access or process some claims submitted through the SHA system following the loss of access to AfyaKE.
Healthcare facilities depend on reimbursements to support operations, including the purchase of medicines, payment for services and the day-to-day running of hospitals.
A prolonged interruption could therefore create pressure on facilities if claims cannot be retrieved, verified or processed as required.
However, the exact amount of money affected by the disruption has not been independently established in the available reporting.
The county has also warned that transitioning to another digital platform could introduce additional costs, particularly if facilities must pay for services previously provided without comparable charges.
How AfyaKE Helped Murang’a Increase Health Revenue
Kang’ata has credited the digital system with helping the county improve revenue collection from its health facilities.
According to the governor, annual health revenue increased from approximately KSh80 million to more than KSh800 million after the county automated hospital operations.
He has linked the additional revenue to improvements in healthcare infrastructure and the supply of medicines.
Projects cited by the county include developments at Murang’a Level Five Hospital, Kirwara Hospital and Nyakianga health facilities.
The revenue figures are claims made by the governor and should be distinguished from independently audited findings establishing how much of the increase was directly attributable to AfyaKE.
Nevertheless, the dispute has highlighted the importance of reliable digital systems in hospital administration, revenue collection and the management of patient information.
What Happens to Patient Records During the Transition?
One of the biggest concerns is whether medical records stored on AfyaKE can be retrieved and transferred safely to the replacement platform.
Losing access to a digital system does not necessarily mean that its underlying data has been permanently deleted. The distinction is important because records may still exist on servers or backups even when healthcare workers cannot access them.
The county and the relevant agencies need to clarify whether the records remain intact, how they can be retrieved and how continuity of care will be maintained during the transition.
Patient health information is sensitive personal data, making appropriate safeguards essential when transferring records between platforms.
Patients who require follow-up treatment may also need practical guidance from their facilities on how previous prescriptions, laboratory results and other medical information will be accessed while the systems are being changed.
What Murang’a Residents Need to Know
For residents seeking treatment, the immediate concern is whether their preferred health facility is operating normally and whether essential services remain available.
Patients should contact their facilities before travelling for non-emergency appointments if they are uncertain about service availability.
Anyone requiring urgent medical attention should seek care without delay.
Meanwhile, the county, Ministry of Health and relevant digital health agencies face pressure to clarify the cause of the outage, account for the affected claims and ensure medical records remain accessible.
The central issue is how the transition to a nationally integrated digital health system can take place without compromising patient care or disrupting the financial operations of public hospitals.
Until the technical cause of the outage and the status of the affected records are clarified, questions over responsibility, reimbursements and the continuity of healthcare services in Murang’a remain unresolved.
