Kirwa said the agreement, which the government has praised as a major milestone, threatens Kenya’s national interest and was not negotiated with enough attention to the country’s long-term needs.
Speaking on a local TV station on December 8, Kirwa argued that the deal sacrifices Kenya’s sovereignty.
“Any time you enter a deal, it is with the interest of your country that you bargain with,” he said.
“William Ruto betrayed the very interest of this country when he signed a deal that looks glossy on the surface but very deadly when you look at it keenly.”
Kirwa also claimed that the framework would give American pharmaceutical companies access to sensitive health patterns in Kenya.
According to him, such access could allow foreign firms to control the local market.
“Trading our diseases is making pharmaceutical industries in America prepare for what kind of diseases we are battling with so they can manufacture those drugs and sell them to us at a higher price,” he said.
President Ruto has repeatedly defended the agreement, saying it is designed to strengthen Kenya’s health system.
He explained that the deal will support better supply chains, increase access to essential medicines and equipment, and expand health insurance.
Ruto has also said the framework removes middlemen and directs funds through government institutions for more accountability.
He noted that it builds on a 25-year partnership with the U.S., supported by more than $7 billion in past investments such as PEPFAR and maternal health programmes.
Kirwa dismissed those assurances and broadened his criticism to Kenya’s political leadership.
“There is no deal that William Ruto is bringing back, and anything that Ruto does between now and the next elections, do not believe any statistics,” he said.
He also accused both Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga of focusing more on political arrangements than on governance or constitutional reforms.
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Politics