KELIN vows to continue push on government accountability amid HIV and TB drug stockout
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 25 – The Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN) while marking World TB Day under the theme ‘ Yes we can end TB, Commit, invest Deliver’ has called on the government for accountability amid HIV and TB drug stockouts.
While addressing the media at its offices in Karen, Nairobi they expressed disappointment over Hight Court ruling in Kisumu on petition dismissal filed in 2023 by women living with HIV, supported by KELIN, Network of TB champions AYARHEP, DACASA and Katiba Institute.
“Petitioners shared painful experiences of repeated stockout of life- saving antiretroviral medicine, viral load testing kits and early infant diagnostic commodities between 2021 and 2023, with reports from the press and government bodies indicating stockouts were caused by stalemate between Ministry of Health, KEMSA and USAID owing repeated cases and corruption at KEMSA”, they said.
The judgement comes at a time US administration recently issued executive directives freezing foreign aid and end USAID funding which has curtailed related health programmes leading to unprecedented health crisis in the country.
“Instead of proactive investment, we countinued to witness bureaucratic failures and financial mismanagement in the health sector as revealed in the Auditor General 2025 report as well as lack of political will to protect vulnerable groups “, they added.
Consequently, they noted that petition dismissal by the court ignored lived realities of thousands of Kenyans struggling to access life saving treatment.
“Court’s unwillingness to intervene encourages impunity, setting a very dangerous pattern where government is not held to account for failing its citizens, KELIN is in the process of lodging an appeal to challenge the decision of High Court to ensure government is held to account for its human rights obligations “.
Furthermore, they demand the government to commit in providing uninterrupted access to HIV and TB treatment, increase investment through domestic financing for HIV and TB programes to fill funding gap left by international donors and deliver to prevent further medicine shortages and stockouts.
“We stand in solidarity with people living with HIV, those affected by TB and all vulnerable Kenyans whose lives depend on effecient and accountable healthcare system , we will countinue pushing justice to ensure government accountability and ensuring every Kenyan has access to a reliable healthcare services “.
