Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has dismissed claims that Kenya will share citizens’ personal medical records with the United States under the newly signed Kenya–US Health Cooperation Framework.
In a statement on Sunday, Duale clarified that the agreement only permits the exchange of aggregated health data, such as totals, trends, and system-level metrics. He emphasized that no individual medical files, ID numbers, addresses, or other personal identifiers will be shared, insisting that Kenya retains full control over its data.
Duale also addressed concerns arising from a clause on a potential separate data-sharing agreement, assuring that any future sharing would strictly adhere to constitutional provisions, the Health Act 2017, and the Data Protection Act 2019.
The seven-year partnership aims to strengthen Kenya’s health sector, with the US expected to contribute Ksh208 billion over five years, plus a two-year reporting and accountability period. Duale stressed that audits and performance verifications will involve only randomly selected facilities, safeguarding privacy while enhancing health-system efficiency.
