Former Agriculture Cabinet Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa has sharply criticised President William Ruto over the $2.5 billion health cooperation framework signed with the United States on December 4, 2025, claiming the agreement undermines Kenya’s national interest.

Speaking during an appearance on a local TV station on December 8, 2025, Kirwa alleged that the deal, hailed as historic by the government, poses hidden dangers despite its promising outlook.

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Kirwa argued that the pact was negotiated without adequate regard for Kenya’s sovereignty or long-term health and economic priorities.

“Any time you enter a deal, it is with the interest of your country that you bargain with,” he said. “William Ruto betrayed the very interest of this country when he signed a deal that looks glossy on the surface but very deadly when you look at it keenly.”

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He further claimed that the framework would grant American pharmaceutical companies access to Kenya’s health data, enabling them to dominate the market.

“Trading our diseases is making pharmaceutical industries in America to prepare on what kind of diseases we are battling with so that they can manufacture those drugs and sell them to us at a higher price,” he charged.

Ruto’s defence of the agreement

The health pact, signed in Washington D.C. by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, is the first under the Trump administration’s revised direct bilateral aid policy.

President Ruto has repeatedly defended the agreement, insisting it will accelerate Kenya’s journey toward universal health coverage through strengthened equipment supply chains, improved delivery of essential medical commodities, and expanded health insurance access.

He also highlighted the removal of third-party intermediaries, saying funds would be channelled directly through government institutions. The President noted that the framework builds on a 25-year partnership with the U.S., supported by over $7 billion in investments, including major PEPFAR and maternal health programmes.

Political implications

Kirwa dismissed the administration’s assurances, widening his criticism to the broader political establishment. “There is no deal that William Ruto is bringing back, and anything that Ruto does between now and the next elections, do not believe any statistics,” he said.

He accused both Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga of prioritising political arrangements over governance and constitutional reforms. Looking ahead, Kirwa predicted that tribe, personality, and an increasingly influential Gen Z constituency will shape the next electoral landscape.