Kenya Makes Full Health Deal with US Public After Days of Outcry

By Brian Kiprono - Reporter

Kenya December 8 2025 - Kenyans can now read, line by line, the health agreement their government signed with the United States, after the Ministry of Health published the full document. The decision follows growing calls for transparency over the Sh208 billion partnership, one of the largest health investments Kenya has entered into in recent years.

The 37-page Kenya–US Health Cooperation Framework was uploaded to the Ministry’s website and shared through its official X account. Officials said the release was made in line with Article 35 of the Constitution, which guarantees the public’s right to information.

For several days, the agreement has been the subject of national debate, with questions raised about how the funds would be used and whether Kenyan medical data would be exposed to foreign agencies. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale had promised that the document would be made public, insisting that it had undergone thorough scrutiny.

“It is a public document that protects the interests of Kenyans,” Duale said earlier, noting that the National Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Ministry’s legal team were all involved in reviewing the text.

The deal was signed in Washington, D.C., in early December, in a ceremony witnessed by President William Ruto. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, signed on behalf of their respective governments.

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President Ruto has framed the agreement as a major step toward achieving universal health coverage. He said the partnership will help modernise medical equipment, strengthen emergency response, improve the distribution of essential medical supplies, and support the rollout of the new Social Health Authority.

“This framework adds momentum to our universal health coverage agenda,” he said. “It will ensure hospitals have modern tools, medical supplies reach facilities on time, and that Kenyan families can access affordable health insurance.”

Concerns about the handling of medical data were dismissed by Duale, who clarified that no personal details, such as identification numbers or individual medical records, would be shared. Only aggregated, non-identifiable data will be used for planning and monitoring.

Under the framework, the United States will invest Sh208 billion over five years, with two additional years set aside for reporting and oversight. The deal builds on a 25-year health partnership valued at more than Sh910 billion.