The Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUNMLO) has come out strongly against the proposed Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, warning that it threatens professional independence and public oversight in the health sector.
The bill, set for public participation from June 23 to 27, aims to enforce high standards in medical facilities and penalize providers found guilty of patient mismanagement with fines of up to Ksh50 million and jail terms of up to 10 years.
It also proposes creating a new authority to register, license, and accredit health facilities—roles currently under the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS).
But KNUNMLO claims the move is a covert attempt to centralise regulation under politically driven actors, potentially handing over control of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to private interests.
“This Bill is not about reform it is about control and money,” the union said in a statement on June 17, accusing unnamed cartels of hijacking the Ministry of Health and operating in secrecy.
The union further warned that the legislation could dismantle the country’s professional regulatory frameworks and erode the integrity of healthcare delivery.
