Social media claims that Meru County is currently leading in HIV/AIDS prevalence and case numbers are false. The latest estimates from the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) and the National AIDS Control Council (NACC) confirm that Meru’s HIV burden is moderate compared to counties in western Kenya and Nairobi.
According to the 2025 estimates, Meru has an HIV prevalence of about 2.4 percent, with approximately 31,000 people living with HIV. Women are disproportionately affected (around 3.7 percent) compared to men (about 1.3 percent). While these numbers highlight an ongoing public health challenge, they do not place Meru among the leading counties nationally.
By contrast, counties in the Lake Victoria region remain the epicentres of the epidemic. NSDCC data shows Kisumu (11.7 percent), Homa Bay (10.6 percent), Migori (10.5 percent), and Siaya (9.5 percent) as the counties with the highest prevalence. Nairobi and Mombasa also carry higher burdens, both in prevalence and total cases, due to large urban populations. The national average is approximately 3.3 percent.
In 2023, NSDCC reported that Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Migori, Homa Bay, Uasin Gishu, Siaya, Mombasa, Kakamega, Kericho and Kajiado accounted for more than half of all new HIV infections in Kenya. Meru did not appear in this top tier.
The chart shows how Meru (highlighted in red) compares to the highest-burden counties:
✅ Conclusion
Meru County does face a significant HIV burden, but credible 2025 data shows it is not Kenya’s leading county in HIV prevalence or number of cases. The hardest-hit counties remain Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya, and Nairobi. Claims circulating on social media to the contrary are misleading and untrue.
