Flaws in Kenya’s AI-driven health reforms driving up costs for the poorest

Exclusive: amid unrest, President William Ruto promised to give all Kenyans access to healthcare. But the algorithm favours the rich, an investigation has found. An AI system used to predict how much Kenyans can afford to pay for access to healthcare has systemically driven up costs for the poor, an investigation has found.

The healthcare system being rolled out across the country, a key electoral promise of President William Ruto, was launched in October 2024 and intended to replace Kenya’s decades-old national insurance system. The new system, while well-intentioned, appears to have flaws that could undermine its core objective of providing universal healthcare. According to sources close to the matter, the AI algorithm used to assess an individual's ability to pay for healthcare services seems to favour those with higher incomes.

This raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the new healthcare system in achieving its goal of universal access, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. With the country's healthcare landscape on the cusp of a major overhaul, it remains to be seen how the government will address these issues. As President Ruto's administration moves forward with the rollout, critics are urging caution, arguing that the current approach may widen the existing healthcare gap between the rich and the poor.

The president's promise of universal healthcare access now hangs in the balance, as the nation waits to see if the government can rectify the flaws in its AI-driven health reforms.