Kenya and the United States have formalised a new Health Cooperation Framework that marks a major shift in their 25-year partnership, transitioning from donor-driven programmes to a sustainable, government-led model aimed at strengthening national health systems by 2030.
According to an executive brief on the agreement, the U.S. Government—Kenya’s largest bilateral health partner with cumulative investments of USD 70 billion—has historically supported the country in HIV, tuberculosis and malaria control, laboratory capacity, outbreak surveillance and development of frontline health workers.
The new framework builds on these achievements while introducing what officials describe as a transition to self-reliant and sustainable national health systems, aligned with Vision 2030 and the Universal Health Coverage agenda under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The brief states that the framework seeks to guide collaboration to eliminate major infectious diseases, build a resilient public health system with strong emergency preparedness, transition to locally owned systems and strengthen diplomatic, scientific and economic partnerships between the two countries.
It notes that the agreement also aligns with the America First Global Health Strategy released in September 2025, which emphasises efficiency, reduced dependency, and stronger bilateral agreements.
Historically, U.S. health funding has been delivered through donor-led models such as PEPFAR, the Global Fund and CDC programmes, implemented largely by non-state partners. While impactful, this approach created parallel systems and inefficiencies.
The document states that the model delivered significant impact but created dependency and resulted in only 40% of funding reaching frontline workers and commodities.
The new framework replaces this system with a Government-to-Government (G2G) approach that channels funding directly into Kenyan institutions, including the Social Health Authority, Digital Health Authority, KEMSA, the Ministry of Health, and the National Public Health Institute.
It outlines joint development of a multi-year transition and co-financing plan covering surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce and commodities.
Procurement and distribution of commodities will transition fully to KEMSA by December 2026, while the government is expected to absorb 515 laboratory workers and 13,293 health workers by 2028.
The United States intends to invest USD 1.6 billion over the next five years under the new framework, with contributions conditional on Kenya progressively increasing national and county health budgets.
Annual increments required include Sh10 billion in FY 2026/27, Sh20 billion in FY 2027/28, Sh35 billion in FY 2028/29 and Sh50 billion in FY 2029/30.
Kenya must also assume full financing for U.S.–funded commodities and human resources by 2031, amounting to USD 141.9 million (Sh18.5 billion).
A key component is the Data Sharing Agreement, which emphasises that Kenya’s health data is a national strategic asset.
The brief states that all shared data must comply with the Data Protection Act (2019), the Digital Health Act (2023) and other local laws, ensuring that data sharing is strictly for implementation of the cooperation framework.
The agreement is expected to strengthen Kenya’s national health sovereignty, with the brief noting that it enhances “full ownership of health systems and alignment to national priorities.”
It is also projected to reduce long-term donor dependence, strengthen digital surveillance, improve preparedness for health emergencies and boost investor confidence in Kenya’s position as a regional health hub.
The U.S. expects Kenya to honour progressive co-financing commitments, strengthen digital health infrastructure, adopt global data security and traceability standards, and provide regulatory support for local and American investments in health technologies.
The brief outlines expectations for Kenya to “absorb 515 laboratory workers and 13,293 healthcare workers by 2028” while fortifying systems across KEMSA, the NPHI and other key agencies.
