Former Chief Justice and United Green Movement presidential candidate David Maraga has called on President William Ruto to openly share the full contents of a recently signed health cooperation agreement between Kenya and the United States.
Speaking in Limuru at the Jumuia Conference Centre on December 8, 2025, Maraga stressed that the public has a right to know the full scope of deals that could affect national institutions and citizen welfare.
Maraga warned that the commercialisation of critical government bodies could have long-term implications for the country. He said investigations underway are expected to uncover other deals that have not been made public.
While acknowledging that development projects are welcomed, Maraga raised concerns over how major ventures, such as the Rironi–Mau Summit Road expansion and the SHA programme, are being executed.
He highlighted that the health agreement has generated questions among Kenyans, particularly on whether personal medical data could be shared under the new framework.
The Ministry of Health has rejected these concerns. In a statement released on Sunday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale clarified that the five-year pact, which will inject Sh208 billion into the health sector, guarantees that Kenya retains full ownership of its health data and associated intellectual property.
Duale said the agreement covers only aggregate, non-personal information used for national dashboards and health reporting. It does not involve the transfer of names, identification numbers, contact information, addresses, or personal medical files.
“The Agreement sets a clear safeguard: to the maximum extent practical, Kenya shall not provide individual-level data or personally identifiable information to the U.S. Government,” Duale emphasized, noting that the provision protects citizens from potential privacy violations.
He added that the framework complies with the Constitution, the Health Act of 2017, the Data Protection Act of 2019, and the Digital Health Act of 2023, all of which establish strict rules for handling personal information.
According to the ministry, the cooperation will accelerate efforts to combat HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria while supporting Kenya’s goal of a self-reliant health system by 2030.
The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has also confirmed that Kenyan health data will remain secure and anonymous, highlighting that the Sh208 billion is direct government support, not a loan.
The assistance aims to strengthen national health systems and reduce dependency on fragmented donor initiatives.
The agreement requires Kenya to increase its domestic health budget by Sh850 million over the five-year period. The deal positions Kenya as the first African nation to enter into such a bilateral health cooperation framework with the United States.
