A Kenyan court has suspended part of a health funding agreement the government signed with the United States on December 4, worth more than $1.6 billion, until it hears a data privacy case filed by a consumer protection group.
The pact, signed in Washington, was the first of its kind under an overhaul of U.S. foreign aid introduced during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Since then, other African nations including Rwanda and Uganda have signed similar agreements. Under these deals, countries receive U.S. health funds but are also required to increase their own domestic health spending.
The Consumers Federation of Kenya petitioned the High Court to halt the agreement until concerns over the safety of citizens’ health data are addressed.
“Decision-making informed by Kenyan health data must be public, auditable and jointly supervised, with consumer representatives involved in data processing, monitoring and evaluation, and independent oversight,” the federation said in a statement.
High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye issued an order pausing any part of the agreement that would involve the transfer or sharing of personal data of a medical, epidemiological or sensitive nature until a hearing next year.
Civil society groups have written an open letter to African heads of state urging them to demand fair terms and protect their countries’ sovereignty when negotiating terms with Washington.
As well as expressing concerns about data-sharing, they said the agreements could give the U.S. undue leverage over African governments and lead to human rights violations.
President William Ruto has sought to reassure Kenyans that their data will be protected.
“The office of the Attorney General … went through the agreement with a fine-tooth comb … to make sure … the law that prevails on data that belongs to the people of Kenya is the Kenyan law,” he said on Wednesday.
(daily monitor)
