Thousands of people across 15 counties in Kenya, who are marked for the rollout of an HIV prevention drug, Lenacapavir, will now pay Sh7,800 per patient annually under the latest Global Fund–supported arrangement, some Sh2,630 more than the price secured last year through the Gates Foundation–Hetero Labs access partnership.
In September, the Gates Foundation and Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero Labs announced that low- and middle-income countries, including Kenya, would have access to Lenacapavir at $40, approximately Sh5,170, per person per year.
Under that agreement, Hetero Labs would manufacture a generic version of the drug originally produced by Gilead Sciences.
The price difference reflects varying supply arrangements and rollout phases, whereby, the Sh7,800 cost covers the initial branded supply secured through a Global Fund–negotiated agreement with the original manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, and includes early access and distribution support, while the Sh5,170 price announced under the Gates Foundation–Hetero Labs partnership applies to a future large-scale generic version expected from 2027, once manufacturing scale-up and regulatory approvals are fully completed.
“The supply of Lenacapavir has been made possible through partner support. The current batch has been funded through the Global Fund, following a negotiated arrangement with the manufacturer to support access at scale at a cost of Sh7,800 per patient per year,” said Patrick Amoth, Director General for Health.
Kenya has already received 21,000 starter doses, with 12,000 continuation doses expected by April. The US has also committed an additional 25,000 doses.
The first phase rollout, beginning early March, covers 15 counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Machakos, Nairobi, Kajiado, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega, Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisii and Kiambu, before expanding in two further phases to all 47 counties.
Lenacapavir is a long-acting injectable form of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) administered twice a year, offering six months of protection per dose.
It works by blocking critical stages of the HIV lifecycle and preventing the virus from establishing infection in the body.
It is intended for HIV-negative individuals at substantial risk of infection and is neither a vaccine nor a cure.
Those on antiretroviral treatment must, however, continue their lifelong therapy. The drug received US FDA approval in June 2025 and WHO endorsement in July 2025. Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board approved it in January 2026.
Kenya’s HIV prevalence stands at 3.7 percent, with approximately 1.34 million people on antiretroviral treatment. The Ministry of Health says 41 percent of new infections occur among people below the age of 24, underscoring the urgency behind the rollout.
Kenya was selected in July 2025 among the first nine countries globally and the first in East Africa to introduce Lenacapavir, alongside Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
