US Moves to Calm Kenyans’ Fears, Says Sh208 Billion Health Deal Is Not a Loan

The United States Embassy in Nairobi has clarified that the Sh208 billion health partnership signed with Kenya is not a loan and will not burden the country with any repayment obligations.

The reassurance comes amid heightened public debate over the scale of the funding and how it will be managed in Kenya’s expanding health sector.

The agreement, which will run for five years, is designed to channel significant direct investment into Kenya’s public health institutions, shifting away from donor-driven models and strengthening long-term national capacity.

US officials described the funding as a support framework intended to boost Kenya’s health infrastructure and accelerate the country’s progress toward universal health coverage.

With questions emerging over the protections surrounding Kenyans’ medical information, the U.S. moved to assure the public that the pact does not grant access to personal health records.

Officials emphasized that only aggregated, non-identifiable data will ever be shared, and only for purposes such as planning, monitoring, and improving health outcomes.

“We are just putting on paper the many policies we have had for years, so any data sharing will be aggregated data, in other words, not personally identifiable data,” said Susan Burns, Head of the Diplomatic Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya.

PEPFAR Country Coordinator Brian Rettmann added that while certain laboratory samples may still require processing abroad, the partnership also aims to help Kenya build stronger local lab systems.

“Over time, the goal is to expand Kenya’s own capacity so there is less reliance on outside facilities,” he noted.

Kenya’s government has insisted that all data processes under the agreement must comply with the Digital Health Act, 2023 and the Data Protection Act, 2019.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has described health data as a “national strategic asset,” saying its use must be approved by the Digital Health Agency and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

The partnership also commits Kenya to steadily increase its own spending on the health sector, including an additional Sh850 million over five years, and to progressively take over procurement of health commodities and financing for frontline health workers.

This shift toward domestic responsibility is part of a broader plan to reduce dependency on external programs.

US officials underscored that the framework is designed not only to strengthen health services but also to reinforce Kenya’s institutional resilience.

“For us, it’s not about dependency—it’s about sovereignty and self-reliance,” Burns said.

Rettmann explained that stringent oversight mechanisms will guide the use of both countries’ funds, ensuring accountability and sustained improvements in health delivery. “There will be oversight mechanisms to ensure proper use of resources,” he said.

Kenya is the first African country to sign a comprehensive government-to-government health financing framework with the United States.

As implementation begins, the agreement is expected to reinforce everything from supply chains and disease surveillance to digital health systems and healthcare staffing—laying the foundation for a more robust and self-sustaining national health system.