By TONY MUSISI
Murang’a County has moved to court seeking orders compelling the national government to restore the AfyaKe health management system, claiming its shutdown has disrupted service delivery in public health facilities.
In a petition filed at the High Court in Murang’a, the county accused the Ministry of Health of disabling the digital platform, which it says has been used for the past three years to manage patients’ records, medical histories and claims.
The petition, filed under a certificate of urgency, argues that the transition to an alternative system was undertaken without adequate arrangements to transfer data and ensure continuity of services.
The county wants the court to order the immediate restoration of AfyaKe, which it says has supported operations in more than 176 public health facilities over the past three years.
In an affidavit, County Secretary Newton Mwangi said the system was switched off on October 14, disrupting operations across the 176 facilities.
“The abrupt transition to alternative systems without adequate safeguards risks compromising patient care and disrupting essential healthcare services,” Mwangi said.
The Digital Health Agency, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Attorney-General have been listed as respondents in the case.
The Council of Governors and the county governments of Murang’a, Kiambu and Nairobi have been listed as interested parties.
Murang’a is seeking interim conservatory orders compelling the respondents to restore and maintain access to the platform until the case is determined.
It also wants the court to restrain the respondents from disabling or replacing the system without a written agreement guaranteeing continuity of services and protection of patient data.
The county further seeks orders preventing the deletion, withholding or destruction of medical records, which it says are essential for treatment decisions, follow-up care and the management of chronic illnesses.
Murang’a claims the interruption has affected its ability to submit and process claims under SHA, putting millions of shillings in revenue at risk and potentially resulting in the loss of claims for reimbursement.
However, Duale denied that the national government had switched off the platform.
In a statement issued on October 15, the Cabinet Secretary said the Ministry of Health neither owned, controlled nor managed AfyaKe and did not possess its source code.
He described the platform as a private arrangement between the county government and its developers.
