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Kenya's bilateral health deal with US hits snags in court

06:14

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Sella Oneko in Kenya
February 26, 2026

After USAID's shutdown, Kenya became the first African nation to sign a bilateral health deal with the US — and the first to face major backlash. Signed in December, the pact was blocked weeks later by a Kenyan court.

After shutting down USAID and withdrawing from the WHO, the United States is aiming to establish bilateral health agreements across Africa.

Most of the five-year plans are co-funding models in which both the US and a partner country commit a certain amount of money to combating major health issues such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis.

Kenya was the first country to sign such an agreement in December 2025, and several other African countries have followed suit.

However, a Kenyan court has now put the Kenyan agreement on hold due to concerns about data privacy, sovereignty, and unclear accountability.

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