By John Mutiso
President William Ruto has hailed the relationship between Kenya and the United States as solid, emphasizing that the deep diplomatic connection is entering a transformative new phase.
The President’s comments follow the signing of a landmark Health Cooperation Framework in Washington D.C., which commits the U.S. to providing $1.6 billion in direct, government-to-government funding over the next five years to strengthen Kenya’s health sector.
“I am very proud of the relationship we have with the United States. It’s a solid relationship forged over many years,” President Ruto stated.
President Ruto defended Kenya’s newly signed health cooperation agreement with the United States, insisting that the arrangement protects the interests of Kenyans and will expand access to affordable healthcare.
He was speaking during the 12th National and County Governments Coordinating Summit at State House, Nairobi.
“There is no equivocation of whatever that the agreement we signed can undermine the interests of the people of Kenya, including matters to do with our health data. The Office of the Attorney General went through the agreement with a toothcomb to make sure that when it comes to matters data, the law that prevails,” President Ruto noted.
Ruto dismissed claims that the pact would place Kenya at a disadvantage, saying the government had secured terms that ensure Kenyan data remains protected under domestic legislation.
“And I also want to assure us that knowing the United States, not just as a friend of Kenya, but as a viciously democratic nation, they will not allow their officials to take advantage of us or any other country. They will not,” the President noted.
He emphasized that the United States was a solid partner with whom Kenya has maintained long-standing cooperation across several sectors.
“Many would want to ask what their interest in our country is. Every country has their own interests. Just for the record, you know, as I said, this is a strong relationship between our two governments forged over many years,” President Ruto said.
The President said the United States had opted to channel resources directly through government rather than NGOs, telling county leaders that the decision was made by Washington for efficiency and efficacy.
“So if anybody is annoyed in between here, they should take their anger to another place. They should not bring it to us,” he stated.
“You know, I know there are entities that have been benefiting from these resources, you know, and as a result, they are sponsoring all manner of stories around. If they have a problem with the current structure, they should go and talk to the government of the United States.”
Ruto also pointed to expanding cooperation beyond health, citing defense support, tourism growth, and ongoing negotiations on bilateral trade.
He said Kenya could become the first African country to conclude a standalone trade agreement with the United States.
“There is a clear, demonstrable, documented, strong relationship with the United States and Kenya. Whether it is our defense agreements and support that we get from them, whether it is the agreement that we have signed on health, whether it is the tourist numbers that come to our country, or the trade that is going on between us and the United States,” the President stated.
The government will implement a system to rapidly deploy essential drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tools during national health emergencies by leveraging the regulatory approvals of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This mechanism is a core component of the new Cooperation Framework between Kenya and the United States on Health.
The primary objective of the provision is to drastically reduce the time taken to introduce life-saving medical countermeasures during a disease outbreak.
This strategic alignment supports Kenya’s ambitious goal to meet the 7-1-7 public health metric a global benchmark requiring a country to detect an outbreak within 7 days, notify authorities within 1 day, and complete the initial response within 7 days.
The Framework outlines that the U.S. FDA’s clearance for emergency use of a medical product will serve as the primary evidence needed for its deployment in Kenya.
“The Government of Kenya intends to allow the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval or Emergency Use Authorization of medical countermeasures to be a sufficient basis to use the medical countermeasures to respond to an outbreak in the country in accordance with applicable legislation in Kenya,” the agreement read.
