Kenya has signed a Health Cooperation Framework Agreement with the United States in a bid to strengthen its healthcare capacity. Kenya is the first nation to enter into such a partnership.
The agreement was signed on Thursday, December 4, by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with President William Ruto witnessing the signing.
As part of the partnership, the Trump administration has committed $1.6 billion (Ksh207 billion) to Kenya over the next five years. These funds will be channelled directly through government institutions.
"We express our deep appreciation to the Government of the United States, under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, for choosing Kenya as the first nation to sign such a Framework," the president said in a statement after the signing.
"This decision reflects growing confidence in the strength, sustainability, and reform momentum of our healthcare systems," he added.
The investment is expected to play a key role in aligning and reinforcing the country's healthcare systems with national priorities, including Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), universal health coverage, and Vision 2030, while reducing long-term dependence on donors.
The deal is expected to improve the digitisation of healthcare infrastructure, enhancing the country's emergency preparedness, while also boosting the healthcare workforce and supply chain systems.
The deal is also expected to strengthen diplomatic ties between the United States and Kenya, as well as enhance investor confidence by establishing the country as a regional health hub.
"This partnership builds upon Kenya’s long-standing health cooperation with the United States, an enduring collaboration spanning more than 25 years and backed by over 7 billion dollars in investment," the Head of State said.
This comes a day after activist and whistleblower Nelson Amenya alleged that the agreement would grant the US government real-time access to all Kenyan health records, after this deal is signed.
In a social media post on Tuesday, December 2, Amenya also highlighted a clause in the agreement stating that it would be governed by US federal law.
Amenya claims that this clause would limit the application of Kenyan laws in the event of a breach of data.
While describing the alleged agreement as unconstitutional, he noted that the proposal contravenes the Kenya Data Protection Act, the Health Act, and the Digital Health Act.
"It will give the US government real-time access to all Kenyan health records, including your HIV status, TB treatment, your children's vaccination records - everything," Amenya alleged.
"Your data protection rights simply don't exist under this agreement. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner becomes completely powerless to protect you," he added.
