AI in Health, Kenya Convergence 2026

The AI in Health, Kenya Convergence 2026 brought together 155 participants from across Kenya, East Africa, and international partners to establish a collaborative foundation for scaling and governing artificial intelligence in Kenya’s health sector. The convergence marked a pivotal moment in Kenya’s digital health evolution, shifting from fragmented AI pilots toward a coordinated, ethical, and interoperable national AI ecosystem.

The event, convened by HELINA in partnership with the Kenya Medical Association (KMA), emphasized collaboration across government, academia, private innovators, and development partners to align on governance frameworks, data standards and community-driven implementation.

Sectors Represented 

• Government – Ministry of Health, Digital Health Agency, County Governments
• Academia – University of Nairobi, Moi University, JKUAT, Strathmore, AMREF International University
• Health Institutions – Kenyatta National Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital
• Private Sector – Safaricom, IntelliSOFT, Smart Applications, Jacaranda Health, HealthX Africa
• NGOs and Development Partners – PharmAccess, PATH, AMREF, Palladium
• Funders – Science for Africa Foundation, Equity Group Foundation

Key outcomes

• Launch of AI in Health, Kenya Community of Practice with four thematic working groups (Ethics & Equity, Governance & Policy, Technical & Interoperability, Operational & Implementation)
• Introduction of the ALIVE Framework (Adaptive, Locally-grounded, Inclusive, Vigilant, Equitable) for continuous ethical oversight of AI in healthcare
• Commitment to develop national AI health resources including a casebook of use cases, evaluation benchmarks, and governance white paper
• Recognition of the Digital Health Act (2023) as legal foundation for AI governance and interoperability
• Consensus on core principles including local validation of AI tools, data sovereignty, continuous ethical oversight, and addressing “pilotitis”