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I can’t answer pedestrian questions: Duale brushes off query amid pressure over Kenya-US deal
09th December, 2025 11:57 PM
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale found himself in unfamiliar territory. This is after the CS, during an interview with a local TV station on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, he appeared visibly irritated as tempers rose on a live broadcast.
The topic under discussion was the recently signed MoU between Kenya and the US, an agreement that will allow the sharing of aggregated Kenyan health data, as explained by the CS.
But it was the moment the interviewer pressed him for assurance and clarity on the safety of the data that made the exchange tense.
Duale openly told the moderator that he was present to answer serious questions and not what he considered rhetorical or pedestrian concerns.
The heated moment emerged when the CS was asked to specify exactly what type of Kenyan data would be shared with the US.
Also watch: Landmark Ksh240b Kenya–US health deal unveiled
Tense exchange unfolds
“…Not only on the US citizen, if the data breach is found on the part of the Kenyan provider, but the consequences are also there in that agreement.
“I thought you knew the Kenyans you are talking about. I am here to answer serious questions, not to answer pedestrian questions or hypothetical questions,” Duale said.
His tone suggested frustration over repeated attempts to push him into specifics that he insisted were already covered within the legal framework of the deal.
He went on to defend the MoU by grounding it in local law.
“This agreement, particularly the data sharing, is anchored in our laws. In the event there will be a conflict between the two laws of these two countries, the Kenyan law supersedes,” Duale said.
“In the event that either participants want to walk out of this agreement, it will give the other six months in writing so that they can call it a day,” Duale added.
Duale defends the MoU
The CS also sought to assure Kenyans of accountability.
He said, “If public health resources are diverted or transparency commitments are breached, Kenyans will hold me accountable. I took an oath to protect public resources. MoH will never again be the Covid billionaires.”
He further clarified that USAID belonged to a previous era and noted, “The replacement of USAID is called America First Global Health Strategy, domiciled at the State Department.
“The role of the US government is to make sure that funds and the parameters and achievements that were meant within the healthcare ecosystem are achieved.”
