A public assurance by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on the safety of Kenya’s health records has triggered renewed debate over how the government manages sensitive national data.
The concerns surfaced after Duale defended a new health cooperation framework signed between Nairobi and Washington, stating that the arrangement complies fully with Kenyan data protection laws.
Duale, in a statement shared on X, described health information as a “national strategic asset” and insisted that any data shared under the agreement would be anonymized and aggregated.
He noted that approvals must pass through the Directorate of Health Standards and the Office of the Data Commissioner, with the Digital Health Act and the Data Protection Act guiding all decisions.
These laws were introduced in recent years to modernize Kenya’s digital governance environment and limit unauthorized handling of personal information.
Lawyer Willis Otieno, responding to Duale on the same platform, challenged the adequacy of Kenya’s current data ecosystem for managing cross-border exchanges.
Otieno questioned why the government was engaging in international data-sharing arrangements before establishing a comprehensive national data-sovereignty framework. He argued that such a framework is essential for enforcing compliance and protecting citizens, especially as Kenya expands its digital health infrastructure.
In his critique, Otieno asked the Ministry of Health to specify the categories of information involved in the partnership.
He sought clarity on whether genomic records, mental health data, disease trend statistics, hospital files, insurance claims, or biometric identifiers were part of the agreement.
According to Otieno, the absence of explicit detail could leave room for misinterpretation and weaken public trust in government-led digital initiatives.
Kenya’s expansion into digital health has accelerated since devolution, with counties adopting electronic medical systems at different speeds.
Past audits have highlighted inconsistencies in data storage, prompting calls for stronger national standards.
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