Counties to work with Ministry of Health in closing down illegal facilities

Governors have issued a strong warning against the continued operation of unlicensed clinics and pharmacies, saying such facilities pose a serious threat to the lives of Kenyans and must be shut down immediately.

While speaking in Mpukoni, Tharaka Nithi County, during the launch of a 40-bed maternal wing at Mpukoni Health Centre, Council of Governors Health Committee Chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki said counties will join hands with the Ministry of Health to identify and close health centres that are either poorly regulated or being run by individuals who lack proper qualifications.

“We have received numerous reports of facilities offering substandard services while posing as legitimate hospitals,” Njuki said on Friday, adding that many of these centres have been associated with deaths caused by medical negligence.

He said the situation has been made worse by a growing trend where health workers lease their practising licences to unqualified individuals in exchange for money, which has allowed untrained personnel to treat patients illegally.

“Many of these facilities are manned by quacks or medics who rent out their licences for profit, and this must stop,” Njuki stated.

He also noted that many pharmacies are operating without valid licences, warning that the situation is putting the health and safety of Kenyans at serious risk.

“These chemists are mushrooming everywhere. But upon inspection, many are not licensed, yet they continue to handle drugs and patients,” he said.

Njuki urged citizens to be more careful when choosing where to seek medical attention, warning that outward appearances should not be mistaken for quality or legal approval.

At the same time, he encouraged Kenyans to sign up for the Social Health Authority (SHA), which he said would improve healthcare services and increase transparency and efficiency in the health system.

He highlighted the advantages of SHA, including the Lipa Pole Pole model, which allows people to contribute in smaller amounts over time rather than paying a large sum at once.

“Paying for a full year under SHA is far more cost-effective than being hit with a huge hospital bill when uninsured,” he said.

He added that SHA would especially help informal workers who often struggle to afford one-time health insurance premiums.

Njuki also announced that Tharaka Nithi County is preparing to equip all its 115 health facilities with cancer screening machines over the next 12 months to help detect cases early and reduce the burden of the disease.

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