NAIROBI — Kenya has taken a bold step in rethinking how health policies are written. On Tuesday, officials introduced SERA.ai, a new artificial intelligence tool meant to cut the country’s policy-making timelines from years down to just a few months.
The system, built by Nairobi-based Visortech Solutions in partnership with Yemaya Health Advisory, was unveiled at a workshop attended by government officials, health experts, and civil society.
Health leaders say the tool could help solve a long-standing problem: policies often arrive too late. “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,” said Dr Nduku Kilonzo, who gave the keynote address.
SERA.ai—named after the Kiswahili word for “policy”—draws on large language models to analyse medical data, research papers, and local reports. It can produce recommendations backed by evidence and shaped by input from Kenya’s diverse health sector.
According to the developers, the system can scan global sources such as WHO reports, peer-reviewed research, and feedback from community groups. Users can upload documents, query data, and receive practical recommendations. Built-in referencing ensures every proposal can be traced back to its source.
A first version of the tool, known as MVP1, has already been cleared for ethical testing by Strathmore University. Developers say it could be applied in areas from pandemic planning to maternal health, tuberculosis management, and even budget processes.
But the creators are keen to stress that the tool is not here to replace experts. “It is designed to support decision-making, not take it away from people,” Dr Kilonzo said.
Security and ethics were also central to discussions at the launch. The platform has encrypted data storage, role-based access, and safeguards to respect Kenya’s cultural and social context.
The workshop was aimed at gathering feedback and shaping a roadmap for adoption. Participants were asked to highlight gaps in the current system and test how SERA.ai might fit into existing structures.
The urgency was underscored by lessons from the recent past. “During health emergencies like COVID-19, we saw how critical timely, evidence-based policy decisions can be,” Dr Kilonzo reminded participants. “SERA.ai represents our opportunity to be proactive rather than reactive.”
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