Kenyans raise privacy fears as court suspends $2.5bn US health aid deal: Video
Residents in Kenya have voiced mounting concerns after the High Court suspended a $2.5 billion health-aid agreement between Nairobi and Washington, following fears that the deal could compromise the privacy of citizens’ medical records.
Footage from Nanyuki on Thursday, December 11, showed daily life continuing as normal. Still, locals expressed strong unease over the suspended Health Cooperation Framework, signed between President William Ruto and former US President Donald Trump.
“That deal… regarding our health issues is not good at all,” resident Lucy Wanjiru said. “We are not happy because there is no way our personal details should be shared with another country — it feels like they want to use us as guinea pigs!”
Others questioned the motives behind allowing foreign access to health information, warning it could threaten national sovereignty.
“If you are assisting people, you should not follow up on their data,” said Charles Maina. “My data is very important, and I would like to know why it is being followed up. I want to understand the reasons behind this.”
Another resident, Isaac Ndirangu, argued that financial assistance should not come at the expense of privacy. “Even if it means getting money, it’s better to do without it. As Kenyans, our data should remain safe and not be tampered with or used for business purposes,” he said.
The High Court issued the injunction after the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) filed a petition warning that the agreement could enable the transfer and sharing of Kenyans’ personal medical data without adequate legal protections.
The suspension will remain in place until the case is fully heard, keeping the controversial health-aid deal on hold.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
