US Secretary of State Rubio explains why Kenya led in signing bilateral health agreement
By Mustafa Juma, December 11, 2025US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has highlighted why Kenya became the first African nation to sign a bilateral health agreement with the United States.
In a video shared on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, via the official X account for the State Department for the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom, Rubio attributed Kenya’s position to its strong institutional framework and the longstanding partnership between the two countries.
“The reason why Kenya was the first country to sign this agreement is two-fold: number one, because of our close partnership, and number two, because they have stable and strong institutions, both in government and in the healthcare sector,” Rubio said.
The US-Kenya bilateral health agreement
Kenya and the US have signed a new data-sharing agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation in health programmes while safeguarding the privacy and rights of Kenyan citizens.
The agreement signed on Monday, December 8, 2025, outlines how health-related data will be shared under strict legal, ethical, and confidentiality standards.
“The Government of Kenya shall provide data according to the Data Protection Act, 2019, the Digital Health Act, 2023, and other applicable laws and regulations in Kenya. The data that will be provided is for purposes of implementation of the Cooperation Framework,” reads the agreement in part.
Covered Data Systems
Both governments will jointly define which health data systems, referred to as Covered Data Systems, fall under the agreement, the type of data to be shared, the level of access permitted, and the authorised users.
Further, the Kenyan government committed to minimising the release of individual-level or personally identifiable information (PII) and to providing only what is necessary to support the framework’s objectives.
“The Government of Kenya shall provide the U.S. Government relevant data derived from health programmes under the Covered Data Systems, and this shall remain in effect for a duration of seven (7) years with effect from the signing of this agreement.”