Kenya Leads East Africa in Lenacapavir HIV Prevention Rollout

Nearly 8,000 Kenyans have already taken up lenacapavir — the twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug — since the first 21,000 starter doses arrived in Nairobi on February 17, 2026, according to data presented at a national learning forum in June 2026. The figures establish Kenya as East Africa's first country to roll out lenacapavir at national scale.

Kenya Launches National Lenacapavir Rollout Across 15 Counties

The Ministry of Health received the inaugural consignment of 21,000 lenacapavir starter doses on February 17, 2026 — the first such delivery in East Africa — under a partnership between the Ministry and the Global Fund, with Gilead Sciences committing to supply the drug at an affordable price. NASCOP coordinated the rollout across 15 priority counties including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kilifi, and Machakos. When the national learning forum convened in June 2026, programme managers confirmed that nearly 8,000 clients had already been initiated on lenacapavir. The injections are provided free of charge at public health facilities.

What Comes Next

NASCOP is expected to use the June forum's data to inform a potential expansion to additional counties. Supply chain continuity is the most critical near-term challenge: clients initiated in February 2026 are due for their second dose approximately six months after the first injection.