Nearly 14,000 Kenyans acquired HIV last year, according to new government estimates.
The data also indicate that the epidemic continues to affect children, adolescents and young women most severely.
The initial figures released on Thursday placed new infections at 13,936, with children and young people making up more than half of all new cases.
The National Syndemic Diseases Control Council said the figure points to continuing programme and structural gaps, but also marks a major 56 per cent drop from the 32,027 infections recorded in 2020, showing that expanded prevention systems are producing strong results.
NSDCC chief executive Dr Douglas Bosire said this is the sharpest decline in Kenya’s epidemic history.
He said the 95-95-95 treatment targets have been sustained, with viral load suppression remaining strong in most counties, while prevention of mother-to-child transmission was maintained in 44 of 47 counties despite the 2025 funding disruption.
The county distribution remains uneven.
Nairobi County recorded the highest number, with 1,516 new infections.
Kisumu followed with 1,057, while Homa Bay and Migori recorded 985 and 970 new cases respectively.
Wajir had the lowest burden, with only 10 new infections.
The estimates show that adults aged 15 years and above accounted for 10,540 new infections, while 3,396 infections were among children under 15 years.
Adolescents and young people aged 15–24 years accounted for about 4,321 new infections.
The report says the burden of new infections remains uneven across age groups and sexes.
It notes that new HIV infections continue to expose persistent age and gender disparities, with adolescent girls and young women disproportionately affected, underscoring the need for sustained, age-sensitive and targeted structural prevention efforts.
The findings suggest that Kenya has made strong progress in reducing HIV transmission, but targeted interventions will still be required if the country is to achieve its goal of ending HIV as a public health threat.
The report says changing epidemiological trends require stronger, gender-responsive and locally tailored HIV prevention measures to sustain progress, tackle regional inequities and close emerging gaps.
Dr Bosire said more than half of people living with HIV in Kenya now have at least one non-communicable disease.
He said women living with HIV face a cervical cancer risk six times higher than women without HIV, contributing to more than 5,200 new cases and 3,800 deaths each year.
He said tuberculosis causes 23,500 deaths annually, with 20,000 linked to HIV and Aids co-infection, describing Kenya’s disease burden as one connected syndemic rather than separate conditions needing individual programmes.
The estimates also point to ongoing challenges in preventing HIV transmission from mothers to their babies.
Although the national mother-to-child transmission rate fell from 9.3 per cent in 2024 to 8.04 per cent in 2026, it remains above the global target of less than five per cent.
The report identifies treatment interruptions among mothers as a major factor behind new infections among children.
It says about 38 per cent of new HIV infections among children were linked to mothers stopping antiretroviral treatment during breastfeeding.
It adds that some infections occurred because women living with HIV did not receive antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding, pointing to gaps in continuity of care and follow-up services.
The new figures come as Kenya rolls out the Kenya Aids Integration Strategic Framework 2026–2030, aimed at speeding up progress against HIV while bringing HIV services into the wider health system.
Under the framework, Kenya aims to reduce annual new HIV infections to fewer than 1,000 among adults and fewer than 200 among children by 2030.
Health CS Aden Duale, who led the launch of the framework, called for a rethink of HIV financing.
He said health facilities have too many non-health staff and argued that the balance should shift, with 70 per cent of personnel in health roles and 30 per cent in other positions.