Kenya will begin distributing lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug administered just twice a year, across 15 high-burden counties starting in March, after receiving its first shipment of 21,000 doses on Tuesday evening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
The doses arrived in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS under a negotiated access arrangement, and Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board completed its scientific review and registered both the oral and injectable formulations for national use in January. The drug was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2025 and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) the following month.
Health Minister Aden Duale confirmed the phased rollout will begin in early March, targeting the 15 counties carrying the highest HIV burden, with a further 12,000 continuation doses expected by April and an additional 25,000 doses pledged by the United States government.
Director General for Health Patrick Amoth was emphatic that lenacapavir is strictly for HIV-negative individuals at substantial risk of infection. “It must be stated clearly and strongly emphasised that this medicine is neither a vaccine nor a cure for HIV,” he said, urging those already on antiretroviral therapy to remain on lifelong treatment.
The drug targets critical stages of the HIV lifecycle, blocking the virus from establishing infection in the body. While its near-total protection rate has drawn comparisons to vaccines, it is classified as a chemical drug because it does not stimulate an immune response. At an estimated annual cost of approximately 7,800 Kenyan shillings per patient, it represents a dramatic reduction from the drug’s original global price.
Kenya is the first country in East Africa to roll out the injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and is among nine African nations selected globally for the initial introduction of lenacapavir, alongside Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Rollout is already under way in South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia.
Officials have raised particular concern about the pace of new infections among young Kenyans, noting that 41 percent of new HIV cases occur among individuals below the age of 24. Kenya’s HIV prevalence stands at 3.7 percent, with approximately 1.34 million people currently receiving treatment.
The rollout unfolds against a difficult funding backdrop. Several African nations have been forced to scale back HIV programmes following aid cuts under United States President Donald Trump’s administration. Kenya has partially insulated itself through a bilateral health agreement signed in December, under which Washington will provide 1.6 billion dollars over five years to support HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, malaria control and polio prevention. Kenya is required to contribute 850 million dollars and progressively take on greater responsibility for programme management. However, a Kenyan senator has challenged the deal in court, citing alleged constitutional violations.
The National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP) will oversee the phased distribution, which is designed to expand to a second group of 15 counties, then to the remaining 17, ultimately achieving nationwide coverage.
