NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 2025 – Kenya has unveiled its first artificial intelligence (AI)-driven health policy support tool, SERA.ai, designed to shorten the country’s health policy formulation process from years to just a few months.
The tool, developed by Visortech Solutions in partnership with Yemaya Health Advisory, was introduced at a stakeholder workshop attended by Ministry of Health officials, policy makers, and health sector players.
Keynote speaker Dr. Nduku Kilonzo said health policies in Kenya often lag behind urgent needs due to lengthy bureaucratic processes and difficulties in consolidating research and evidence.
“Policy updates frequently lag behind emerging evidence, even in urgent contexts such as disease outbreaks, when swift action can mean the difference between life and death,” Dr. Kilonzo noted.
SERA.ai – named after the Kiswahili word for “policy” – uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze health data, generate recommendations, and support inclusive, data-driven discussions.
It can process reports from WHO, PubMed, Kenya’s Ministry of Health, and stakeholder feedback, producing practical, traceable policy recommendations tailored to Kenya’s needs.
The developers have already rolled out a Minimum Viable Product (MVP1), which has received ethical clearance from Strathmore University for stakeholder testing.
Key features include document upload and query functions, automated referencing, and built-in feedback for continuous improvement.
The tool could transform policymaking in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, maternal health, TB management, and even budget approval processes.
Dr. Kilonzo stressed that SERA.ai is not meant to replace human decision-making but to enhance it with reliable, evidence-based insights.
The project also prioritizes ethical AI use, with encrypted data, role-based access controls, and safeguards to ensure cultural sensitivity and respect for Kenya’s diverse health landscape.
The workshop aimed to collect feedback, identify policy process gaps, and co-develop an implementation roadmap for integrating SERA.ai into Kenya’s health policy systems.
“During health emergencies like COVID-19, we saw how critical timely, evidence-based policy decisions can be,” Dr. Kilonzo said. “SERA.ai represents our opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.”
