Kenya recorded 13,936 new HIV infections in 2026, according to figures cited at the launch of new control documents, with young people emerging as a central concern in the country's fight against the virus.
According to the data, adolescents accounted for 41% of all new infections among adults. Combined, children, adolescents and young people now make up 55% of all new HIV infections in the country, underlining how heavily the epidemic is affecting the younger generation.
Mother-to-child transmission remains a major concern, standing at 8%, well above the global target of 5%. Officials said this means thousands of children continue to contract HIV through preventable transmission during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
It was against this backdrop that the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council launched a set of documents designed to hold county governments to account and to recommit the country to ending AIDS and other syndemics as public health threats.
A key part of the framework is the introduction of 47 county operational plans. The government said the move is aimed at shifting away from a one-size-fits-all national approach, with each county implementing interventions tailored to its own disease burden and vulnerable populations. Officials noted that the drivers of the epidemic in one county, such as Mandera, differ from those in another, such as Bungoma.
The county operational plans are expected to bring decision-making and service delivery closer to communities, while promoting integrated, people-centered service delivery. Officials said the goal is to improve efficiency and close persistent gaps in prevention, treatment and follow-up services that continue to fuel new infections among children and young people.