Gov’t Speaks on Alleged Unauthorized Access to Kenyans' Health Data

The Digital Health Agency (DHA) has addressed claims of unauthorized access to Kenyans' health information, assuring the public that the country’s digital health systems are protected through multiple layers of security.

In a statement on Tuesday, May 26, the agency said access to member accounts and digital health services is safeguarded through strict authentication and consent procedures designed to prevent misuse or unauthorized transactions.

DHA explained that every transaction involving a patient’s account must undergo verification before any information can be accessed or altered.

"The Digital Health Agency (DHA) wishes to clarify that access to member information and digital health services is protected through robust authentication and consent mechanisms.

"Any access to, or transaction involving, a member account requires patient verification and consent through approved methods such as biometric authentication or a One-Time Password (OTP) sent directly to the member's registered contacts," the statement read.

According to DHA, the digital health system also maintains comprehensive audit trails that can help investigators determine how and where any attempted access occurred.

"In addition, the Digital Health ecosystem is fully auditable, with detailed system logs that enable the tracing of access attempts, facilities involved, devices used, and personnel who initiate any transaction within the system," the statement added.

Further, DHA said all reports and allegations are treated seriously and subjected to independent review processes.

"The Agency takes all allegations regarding unauthorized access or misuse of health data seriously. Any incident reported by a Kenyan citizen is subjected to an independent verification process to establish the accuracy of the claims being circulated," the statement further read.

The DHA called on any affected individuals to formally submit details of their cases to support investigations and help establish the facts surrounding the allegations.

"We therefore request the affected individual to formally submit the specific case details, including the member information and any relevant supporting evidence, to facilitate a comprehensive investigation into the matter," the statement noted.

At the same time, the agency encouraged Kenyans to actively monitor their health records and report suspicious activity immediately through official channels.

"We also encourage all Kenyans to download the Afya Yangu application to conveniently access and monitor their health records and claims history in real time. Any suspected fraud, unauthorized access, or irregularities should be reported immediately," the statement concluded.

Elsewhere, this comes two weeks after the Social Health Authority (SHA) responded to a documentary by Africa Uncensored that raised concerns about the fairness and design of the Means Testing Instrument (MTI) used to determine health insurance contributions. 

The documentary claimed the system relies on an AI-based model that estimates household income using indirect indicators such as living conditions, assets, and lifestyle patterns, and noted that concerns about its limitations were reportedly raised before its national rollout.

In its response, SHA acknowledged the importance of public scrutiny, saying such evaluation is essential in building fair and accountable health financing systems. 

The authority defended the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), arguing that the previous system was structurally unfair and unsustainable. 

It stated that NHIF depended heavily on a small portion of formally employed Kenyans to fund healthcare for the wider population, creating imbalance and exclusion of vulnerable groups.

SHA further argued that the NHIF contribution model was regressive, with low-income earners effectively paying a higher percentage of their income compared to wealthier individuals. 

It cited examples showing that some low-income households contributed up to 5% of their earnings, while high-income earners paid significantly lower proportional rates. 

The authority said this structure “punished the poor for being poor.”

According to SHA, the current system under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023 introduces a more equitable approach by applying a flat rate of 2.75% of household income, with a minimum contribution of Ksh300. 

It added that this model improves fairness by aligning payments with ability to pay and has reduced premiums for many formally employed contributors.

The authority also clarified that the means-testing system uses a banding approach to reduce inaccuracies in income estimation and applies lower-bound estimates to avoid overcharging households. 

SHA emphasized that no assessment model is perfect and encouraged citizens to challenge assessments they consider unfair.

To address disputes, SHA said it has strengthened its appeals process through digital and assisted channels, faster review timelines, and the introduction of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to ensure transparency and efficiency in handling contributor complaints.

"In addition to the standard statutory review, we are embedding comprehensive Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms into our framework to handle contributor disputes equitably," the statement read in part.