Who Holds the Record · country brief · data as of 2026-10-02Who holds the health record in Kenya?
In 2026, Kenya scores 49 of 100 on a person's right to see, control and share their own health record: rank 45= of 65 countries, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: Shared. Source: Who Holds the Record, SuperTruth, data as of 2026-10-02.
Kenya's rules promise patients a national record with alerts, logs and consent, but the live system is young, claims-driven and leaky.
Published · updated · data as of 2026-10-02 · research tool, not legal advice
Can I get my health records in Kenya?
Access to the full record scores 55 of 100 in Kenya, against a median of 62 across 65 countries. The 2021 data protection rules make a copy free and due within 7 days, and the Digital Health Agency runs a national portal, Afyangu, showing visits, prescriptions and results. No official figure shows most people use it, so the cell stops at 55.
Can I control who sees my health record in Kenya?
Control and consent scores 44 of 100 in Kenya, against a median of 52 across 65 countries. Every visit is copied to a national Shared Health Record, but the rules require client authorisation, an alert on each look-up and an access log. A May 2026 fake entry posted with no alert shows these controls are not yet reliable.
Eight rights, against Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana and the EU
| Patient access to the full record20% | 55 | 50 · 40 · 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient control and consent20% | 44 | 30 · 42 · 30 | |
| Privacy and security15% | 55 | 52 · 60 · 45 | |
| Connected care journey15% | 45 | 46 · 33 · 35 | |
| Protection from commercial use10% | 52 | 50 · 50 · 48 | |
| Clinician access at the point of care10% | 42 | 34 · 32 · 28 | |
| Research and trial consent5% | 50 | 50 · 50 · 49 | |
| Clinical AI governance5% | 48 | 55 · 48 · 40 |
Black dot: Kenya. Hollow dots: Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana (scores on the right, same order). Grey line: median of all 65 countries. Dashed teal line: EU median. Overall: Kenya 49, EU median 61. Scores move in steps of about 5; gaps of 4 or less are ties.
What would Kenya need to change to score higher?
Kenya sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. The two rights furthest below the 65-country median, weighted, are connected care journey (45, median 62) and patient control and consent (44, median 52). The published rubric reads:
- Connected care journey: Primary care, hospitals, labs, pharmacy, claims and public health linked to one record and used at national scale.
- Patient control and consent: An opt-out or opt-in, a patient-visible access log and granular choices together put control at 60 to 80.
Which laws give health record rights in Kenya?
- Data Protection Act No. 24 of 2019 (2019): Health is sensitive data; access and portability rights; 72-hour breach notice; express consent for commercial use.
- Data Protection (General) Regulations 2021 (2021): Free access within 7 days; no direct marketing with sensitive data; health care processing kept in Kenya.
- Digital Health Act No. 15 of 2023 (2023): Creates Digital Health Agency and integrated system; right to a copy; consent withdrawal; offences up to 15 years.
Strain and split context, not scored
- Doctors per 10,000
- 2.6 2024
- Nurses and midwives per 10,000
- 12.1 2024
- Private insurance + out-of-pocket
- 34.1% 2023
- Record reaches private care?
- unknown
Published stories
- 2026-03-16 · Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (Kenya) Hospital twice gave a patient another person's test results
- 2025-12-16 · Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (Kenya) Regulator finds hospital had no way for patients to see or correct records
Questions, corrections or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: whoholds.supertruth.ai