Duale directs clinical officers’ council to re-inspect licensed health facilities
Duale reassured the COC of the ministry’s continued support in advancing health reforms, particularly in the implementation of the Taifa Care Model, a major initiative aimed at improving the healthcare system.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has directed the Council of Clinical Officers (COC) to conduct a thorough re-inspection of all licensed health facilities and submit detailed reports to the Ministry of Health.
This directive is part of a broader effort to ensure stricter licensing and oversight of clinicians and healthcare institutions across Kenya.
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Speaking during a meeting with COC officials led by Chairperson Samuel Kang'ethe, CS Duale highlighted the critical role of the council in safeguarding public health and ensuring that clinical officers are trained and certified by accredited institutions. He stressed that only clinicians from approved schools should be allowed to practice.
"Do not license any clinical officer trained in an institution that has not been duly merited, inspected, and audited by the council," Duale said on Wednesday, stressing the importance of maintaining high standards in training and practice.
To enforce the new directive, Duale ordered the council to carry out a comprehensive audit of all licensed health facilities. He also called for increased collaboration between regulatory bodies to prevent discrepancies in facility assessments.
"You must re-inspect all these facilities and do a constant check. The CEO must go and sit with the CEO of the other council. You must find a way of working," Duale said.
"There is no way his special team can deny a facility [licence], and you give them a licence. We will not accept it because he will also bring his special report to us. So, if we see that the two regulatory bodies' reports contradict, that is a problem," he added.
Duale urged the council to fully digitise its operations as part of the Ministry’s Digital Health Strategy. This step, he explained, would enhance transparency, improve oversight, and curb malpractice.
Duale reassured the COC of the ministry’s continued support in advancing health reforms, particularly in the implementation of the Taifa Care Model, a major initiative aimed at improving the healthcare system.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and other members of the Health Sector Caucus rejected a government proposal to merge several health regulatory bodies under the Quality of Care Bill 2025. The unions warned that merging the bodies could undermine effective regulation and standards in healthcare.
"We, the officials and representatives of the health sector unions and associations under the Health Sector Caucus, reaffirm our position against the proposal to merge regulatory bodies and inform that peer regulations are currently the best standard since the regulator has a deeper understanding of the practitioners and institutions they regulate," the statement read.
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