The Ministry of Health has dismissed allegations that the government traded off Kenyans’ personal medical data under the newly signed health cooperation deal between Kenya and the United States.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale issued a statement on Sunday reaffirming that the agreement clearly safeguards Kenya’s ownership of all health data and the intellectual property associated with the systems covered under the deal.
According to Duale, the framework focuses strictly on aggregate-level data, such as national reports and dashboard summaries, and does not authorize the sharing of private information, including names, ID numbers, phone contacts, physical addresses, or individual medical records.
“The Agreement goes further and sets a firm guardrail: to the maximum extent practical, Kenya shall not provide individual-level data or personally identifiable information—PII—to the U.S. Government. That sentence exists to protect Kenyans. It was deliberately included to stop exactly the kinds of fears being circulated today,” Duale explained.
Duale: Agreement Fully Aligned With Kenya’s Laws
The CS emphasized that the deal aligns with the Constitution and all relevant legal frameworks, including the Health Act 2017, the Data Protection Act 2019, and the Digital Health Act 2023.
“This Agreement does not exist in a vacuum. It sits within Kenya’s constitutional order, where the right to privacy is guaranteed, and where any limitation of rights must be lawful, reasonable, and justifiable. That constitutional standard is non-negotiable,” he added.
Duale maintained that the cooperation framework will play a major role in Kenya’s fight against HIV, TB, and malaria, while helping the country transition to a fully self-reliant health system by 2030.
U.S. Embassy Reassures Kenyans on Data Safety
His statement came shortly after the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi assured Kenyans that their health data will remain safe, protected, and unidentifiable under the terms of the agreement.
Signed on Thursday in Washington, the five-year cooperation framework aims to strengthen Kenya’s priority health programs and support the long-term sustainability of national health systems.
Ksh.208 Billion Boost for Kenya’s Health Sector
Under the agreement, the U.S. government will inject Ksh.208 billion into Kenya’s health institutions over the next five years. The U.S. Embassy clarified that the funding is not a loan but direct government-to-government support, designed to help Kenya reduce dependence on fragmented donor-led health programs.
The deal also obligates the Kenyan government to increase its domestic health expenditure by Ksh.850 million during the implementation period.
A Historic First for Africa
The landmark agreement makes Kenya the first African country to sign a government-to-government health cooperation pact with the United States – an arrangement both sides say is structured to ensure accountability, sustainability, and full respect for citizens’ privacy rights.
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