Safaricom Partners with Firms to Invest $812 Million in Kenyan Healthcare IT

Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa

Kenya's Safaricom, alongside Apeiro Ltd and Konvergenz Network Solutions Ltd, has announced a significant partnership to help the Ministry of Health implement an Integrated Healthcare Information Technology System (IHTS). The consortium will invest over KES 104.8 billion ($812.4 million) across a decade to develop and maintain the system, which aims to digitize Kenya's public health facilities.

The consortium will recover this investment in monthly installments starting in February 2025, once key project milestones are achieved. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa noted that the project’s design enables the Ministry to adopt the system without upfront capital or operational costs.

Key features of the initiative include the creation of a health information exchange to improve the interoperability of healthcare systems, along with a standards-based hospital management system. The project will also incorporate robust cybersecurity measures to protect patient data and ensure compliance with local laws.

The Ministry of Health plans to launch the National Health Information Exchange on October 1, 2024, and developers are encouraged to register in advance of the rollout.

Source: Ifeoma Joy Okorie / TechPoint Africa