Kenya faces a persistent challenge from mosquitoes, which transmit malaria and other diseases. In 2022, the country reported over 5 million malaria cases, with peak transmission during rainy seasons from March to May and October to December.
The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), under the Ministry of Health, leads efforts to reduce this burden. Supported by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), these initiatives integrate surveillance, vector control, and public participation.
The Kenya Malaria Strategy 2023–2027 provides a framework for these activities, aiming to lower malaria incidence by 50% by 2027 through targeted interventions.
The NMCP was established in the 1980s to coordinate malaria responses, evolving into a comprehensive program by the 2000s. KEMRI, founded in 1979, conducts research on mosquito biology and disease transmission. Centers like the Centre for Vector Diseases Control in Kwale focus on mosquito surveillance and snail ecology, while collaborations with international partners address regional threats.
Over three decades, KEMRI has contributed to vaccine trials, drug development, and vector studies, including the identification of new species like Anopheles coluzzii in five counties. These efforts have reduced malaria prevalence from 10% in 2015 to around 8% in recent surveys, though uneven progress persists in high-burden areas like the Lake Victoria basin.
Monitoring forms the foundation of Kenya’s mosquito control. The NMCP deploys over 1,000 surveillance sites nationwide, using human landing catches, light traps, and larval surveys to track Anopheles and Aedes populations. In coastal regions, molecular xenomonitoring detects parasites in mosquitoes without direct human testing, aiding early outbreak detection.
KEMRI’s genomic initiatives, such as the East Africa Vectors Surveillance (EAVeS) project launched in 2025, sequence mosquito genomes to identify insecticide resistance markers. This four-year effort, funded by the Gates Foundation and partnering with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Wellcome Sanger Institute, operates in counties including Busia, Kwale, Turkana, and Marsabit.
It combines field trials with bioinformatics to map resistance spread, training local staff in sequencing and data analysis. By embedding surveillance into NMCP operations, EAVeS aims to guide insecticide rotations and policy, potentially cutting resistance-related failures by 30%.
Control operations rely on integrated vector management (IVM), combining chemical, biological, and environmental methods. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) remain the cornerstone, distributed to over 80% of households since 2018, though coverage dips in urban slums. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) targets high-transmission zones, covering 85% of structures in Busia County in 2024.
Larviciding, using agents like Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, treats breeding sites in drains and ponds, with a 2025 push for regional communities of practice to share best practices.
Aerial and drone applications are emerging, with trials in 2025 demonstrating cost-effective coverage in flood-prone areas, reducing larvae by up to 70% without broad environmental impact.
Recent innovations address resistance and behavioral shifts in mosquitoes. Spatial repellents, recommended by WHO in August 2025, release insecticides like transfluthrin to deter entry into homes. The AEGIS project, led by the University of Notre Dame with KEMRI and CDC, tested MosquitoShield™ in Busia County from 2021 to 2024.
In a cluster-randomized trial across 132 villages, the repellent reduced infections by one-third when added to ITNs, with monthly replacements handled by community health workers.
Initial community feedback highlighted ease of use and fewer bites, though some noted waning effects after three weeks and requested larger sizes.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health is now scaling this nationally, starting in 2025, with SC Johnson producing 20 million units annually at a new Kenyan facility.
Bio-based solutions offer sustainable alternatives. A 2025 project commercialized catnip-derived repellents in soaps, sprays, and lotions, developed by icipe and partners across East Africa.
Tested for efficacy against Anopheles, these products use local cultivation to create jobs and reduce reliance on synthetics, with Burundi leading commercialization and Kenya focusing on formulation.
Ivermectin mass drug administration, trialed by KEMRI in 2024, reduced mosquito survival by 20% when taken orally, providing community-wide protection. Genomic studies in September 2025 revealed rapid gene shifts enabling evasion of controls, prompting calls for diversified tools.
Community involvement strengthens these efforts. The NMCP trains community-owned resource persons (CORPs) to conduct larval surveys, distribute nets, and educate on source reduction—eliminating standing water in containers and ditches. In Malindi, 56% of registered groups engage in IVM, treating breeding sites and promoting nets. School programs in urban Kenya teach ecology and management, reducing household breeding sites by 40% in pilot areas.
During World Malaria Day 2025, campaigns emphasized repellents and sleeves, reaching 500,000 people via radio and workshops.
In Busia, residents advocated for spatial repellents after trials, influencing national rollout. Studies show willingness to pay for community-led eco-friendly controls, with 70% participation rates when tied to local benefits like reduced clinic visits.
Challenges include insecticide resistance, affecting 60% of Anopheles populations, and climate variability exacerbating breeding. Funding gaps limit scaling, with only 40% of needs met in 2024, while urban migration complicates surveillance. The Pan-African Mosquito Control Association supports training to address these, planning a 2025 online course on surveillance.
Successes demonstrate progress. Spatial repellent trials averted 1,000 infections in Busia alone, and genomic mapping has informed IRS rotations in Kwale. The 2023–2027 strategy targets elimination in low-burden counties by 2027, building on a 20% case drop since 2020. By combining KEMRI’s research with NMCP operations and community action, Kenya sustains reductions. Ongoing adaptations, like EAVeS integration, position the country to meet global targets, ensuring effective control amid evolving threat
