A Kenyan court has temporarily blocked a $2.5 billion health partnership between Kenya and the US after consumer groups sued over potential sharing of citizens’ health data outside Kenya. The deal would have seen the US invest up to $1.6 billion in Kenya’s HIV/AIDS and infectious disease programmes and required Kenya to raise domestic health spending by about $850 million over five years. Washington has also signed similar five‑year agreements with Uganda and Lesotho under its “America First Global Health Strategy.”
Kenyan Court Temporarily Blocks $2.5B US Health Aid Deal Over Data Privacy Concerns
A chart showing foreign aid received per capita for several African countries.
A Kenyan court has issued a temporary injunction preventing the government from implementing a $2.5 billion health partnership with the United States, after consumer groups challenged the agreement on data-privacy grounds.
Court Action and Privacy Concerns
The injunction followed a lawsuit by consumer rights organisations that argued the bilateral pact could allow sensitive medical information about Kenyan citizens to be stored, accessed or shared outside Kenya without adequate safeguards. The court ordered the pause while it considers whether the agreement sufficiently protects personal health data.
What the Pact Would Do
Under the deal announced on Dec. 4, the US would invest up to $1.6 billion in Kenya’s programmes to combat HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Nairobi, in turn, would be required to increase domestic health spending by roughly $850 million over five years as part of the partnership’s co-financing commitments.
Parallel Deals in the Region
At the same time, the US has signed separate five-year health agreements with Uganda and Lesotho. The State Department says Washington will provide $1.7 billion for Uganda’s fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases, while Uganda has pledged $500 million toward the initiative. Lesotho’s package includes $232 million in US assistance and a $132 million commitment from the government of Lesotho.
Policy Context
These bilateral agreements form part of the US “America First Global Health Strategy,” launched in September as part of a broader reworking of US foreign assistance approaches. The State Department has said the administration intends to continue negotiating bilateral health cooperation agreements with partner countries worldwide.
Note: The court’s injunction is temporary and centres on data protection and sovereignty concerns — not on the health goals of the programmes themselves.
