President William Ruto talked tough in response concerns about Kenya’s health data following the country’s new agreement with the United States, assuring citizens that their information remains fully protected under Kenyan law.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ruto stated that the deal poses no threat to Kenya’s sovereignty, particularly regarding sensitive health information.
“Nobody and no government will take advantage of the people of Kenya as long as I am President. I am clear about what we want and where we must go, and therefore there is no way the agreement we signed can undermine the interests of the people of Kenya, including matters related to our health data,” he said.
The President noted that the Office of the Attorney General had meticulously reviewed the agreement “with a tooth comb” to ensure that Kenyan law governs any data collected under the arrangement.
“The law that prevails on data that belongs to the people of Kenya is Kenyan law, and that is with clarity,” he added.
Ruto also pointed out Kenya’s robust diplomatic and professional ties with the United States, noting that as a “viciously democratic nation,” the U.S. would not allow its officials to exploit Kenya.
However, he stressed that Kenya would not depend solely on these assurances.
“They will not, but that’s not enough. Much as they will not allow their own officials to take advantage of others, we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of by anybody, even if there were opportunities to exploit us,” he said.