Kenya has become the first country to enter into a new series of “America First” global health cooperation agreements, following the signing of a five-year, multi-billion-dollar framework with the United States.
The Kenya–US Health Cooperation Framework was signed in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, December 4, by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, with President William Ruto issuing a formal statement confirming the deal.
Valued at $2.5 billion, the five-year framework replaces previous U.S.-funded health arrangements that had largely been implemented through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which the Trump administration disbanded earlier this year.
The restructuring of USAID resulted in the immediate shutdown of hundreds of global health programs, affecting maternal care, nutrition initiatives, HIV/AIDS interventions, and other support services in developing countries.
Secretary Rubio commends Kenya
Rubio said the new agreement with Kenya “aims to strengthen U.S. leadership and excellence in global health while eliminating dependency, ideology, inefficiency, and waste from our foreign assistance architecture.” He also commended Kenya for its involvement in the international security mission in Haiti.
In his statement, President Ruto described the cooperation framework as a significant step for Kenya’s health sector, noting that it advances the country’s universal health coverage agenda.
“The signing of the historic Health Cooperation Framework between Kenya and the Government of the United States marks a significant strengthening of our commitment to the full actualisation of universal health coverage,” he said.
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Ruto added that the agreement will support the supply of modern medical equipment, improve the delivery of essential health commodities, expand the health workforce, and enhance insurance coverage.
“Under this agreement, the United States will commit 1.6 billion dollars to Kenya over the next five years — resources that will be channelled directly through government institutions, eliminating third-party intermediaries and guaranteeing that support reaches the intended beneficiaries for maximum impact and accountability,” he said.
Ruto thanks the Trump administration for choosing Kenya
The Head of State noted that Kenya was selected as the first country to sign the framework, adding that the partnership builds on more than 25 years of health cooperation between the two nations.
“We express our deep appreciation to the Government of the United States, under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, for choosing Kenya as the first nation to sign such a Framework. This decision reflects growing confidence in the strength, sustainability, and reform momentum of our healthcare systems.”
According to U.S. officials, the agreement allocates $1.7 billion from the United States and $850 million from the Kenyan government.
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Funding will focus on preventing and treating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, with faith-based medical facilities included among eligible providers.
“This cooperation framework is quite a departure from the past and will have a lasting impact on health for all,” Principal Secretary for Medical Services Ouma Oluga added.
U.S. officials Jeremy Lewin and Brad Smith, who participated in the negotiations, told ABC News that family planning programs that comply with American restrictions on abortion services will qualify for support, and that the framework does not exclude services for gay or transgender people or sex workers.
Other African countries are expected to sign similar health deals before the end of the year. However, U.S. officials indicated that Nigeria and South Africa are not likely to participate due to policy differences with the Trump administration.
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