The High Court of Kenya has issued a conservatory order temporarily suspending the implementation of the Health Cooperation Framework signed between President William Ruto and the administration of US President Donald Trump on December 4, 2025.
The order, issued on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, by Justice Bahati Mwamiye, came in response to a Notice of Motion Application filed by the Consumers Federation of Kenya in case number HCCRPET/E809/2025.
“Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of the Petitioner/Applicant’s Notice of Motion Application dated 09/12/2025, a conservatory order is hereby issued suspending, staying, and/or restraining the Respondents from implementing, operationalizing, or giving effect to the Health Cooperation Framework executed on or about December 4, 2025, insofar as it provides for the transfer, sharing, or dissemination of medical, epidemiological, or sensitive personal health data,” the court order states.
Courts Temporarily Stops Implementation of Ruto-Trump Deal
Specifically, the order prohibits the provision for, or facilitation of, the transfer, sharing, or dissemination of medical and epidemiological data belonging to Kenyan personnel or citizens.
The court issued this directive pending the inter partes hearing and final determination of the Petitioner’s application.
As to procedure, the Respondents are required to enter their appearances and file their respective responses to both the Application and the petition by the close of business on January 16, 2026.
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The petitioner is then slated to file a rejoinder by January 30, 2026.
The matter is scheduled for a mention on February 12, 2026, before Justice Lawrence Mugambi, to confirm compliance with the orders and set dates for the expedited hearing and determination of the petition.
This order comes just hours after President William Ruto defended the recently signed Kenya-United States Health Cooperation Framework during a meeting with governors at State House in Nairobi.
Head of State Defends Agreement Between Kenya and US
The agreement, signed on December 4, 2025, in Washington D.C., commits the U.S. to providing approximately $1.6 billion (KSh208–323 billion) in direct government-to-government funding over five years to strengthen Kenya’s health sector.
This positions Kenya as the first nation to sign such a pact, shifting away from previous third-party funding models, such as through NGO funding, toward direct support for the procurement, warehousing, and distribution of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics.
President Ruto assured that the agreement does not undermine Kenyan rights, especially regarding health data.
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He stated that the Attorney General’s office has thoroughly reviewed it and confirmed that Kenyan data protection laws take precedence over any U.S. provisions.
“Nobody will take advantage of Kenyans… The U.S., as a deeply democratic nation, will not allow its officials to exploit us,” said Ruto.
Ruto accused entities that have been benefiting from these resources of sponsoring misinformation, urging critics to address issues with the U.S. government rather than Kenya.
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