NAIROBI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - A Kenyan court has suspended a health funding agreement the government signed with the United States on December 4, worth more than $1.6 billion, until it hears a data privacy case filed by a consumer protection group.
The pact, signed in Washington, was the first of its kind under an overhaul of U.S. foreign aid introduced during President Donald Trump's administration.
Since then, other African nations including Rwanda and Uganda have signed similar agreements. Under these deals, countries receive U.S. health funds but are also required to increase their own domestic health spending.
The Consumers Federation of Kenya petitioned the High Court to halt the agreement until concerns over the safety of citizens' health data are addressed.
"Decision-making informed by Kenyan health data must be public, auditable and jointly supervised, with consumer representatives involved in data processing, monitoring and evaluation, and independent oversight," the federation said in a statement.
High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye issued an order pausing the agreement until the case is heard.
"A conservatory is hereby issued suspending ... or howsoever giving effect to the Health Cooperation Framework," Mwamuye said in the order late on Wednesday.
President William Ruto has sought to reassure Kenyans that their data will be protected.
"The office of the Attorney General ... went through the agreement with a tooth comb ... to make sure ... the law that prevails on data that belongs to the people of Kenya is the Kenyan law," he said on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Vincent Mumo Nzilani, Humphrey Malalo and George Obulutsa;Editing by Alexander Winning and Ros Russell)
