In Kenya, we understand land. It is inheritance, future, and identity. Imagine a foreign company comes to your family shamba (farm), plants their seeds, takes the entire harvest, and leaves you with nothing. You would never agree to such a deal. It would betray your ancestors and your children.
That deal is being made right now; not for land, but for a new kind of shamba: our collective health data. Kenya has negotiated a Sh208 billion ($1.6 billion) health agreement with the United States (US), the largest in our history. It promises real benefits. But who gets to harvest the wealth hidden in our medical and genetic information?