Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale has issued a firm call for stringent regulatory oversight by the Clinical Officers Council (COC), urging the body to uphold the highest standards in clinical training and professional practice.
The directive came during a pivotal meeting with the COC leadership, chaired by Prof. Samuel Kang’ethe, aimed at aligning healthcare regulation with the government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals.
Referencing Section 33(2) of the 2023 Social Health Insurance Act, CS Duale stressed the Council’s legal and ethical mandate to maintain integrity, enforce evidence-based regulation, and ensure full transparency in licensing clinical officers and facilities across the country.
“Do not license any clinical officer trained in an institution that has not been duly merited, inspected, and audited by the Council,” Duale stated, warning that any compromise on training standards endangers public health and undermines the trust in Kenya’s healthcare system.
In a move to enhance accountability, the CS directed the Council to conduct a nationwide re-inspection of all currently licensed health facilities.
He also called for an urgent transition to a fully digital regulatory system, in partnership with the Ministry’s Digital Health Strategy and the Digital Health Agency, to streamline oversight and curb malpractice.
The CS reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the Council through policy backing and structural reforms, particularly in the rollout of the Taifa Care Model—an anchor initiative under President Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Key officials present included Public Health Principal Secretary Ms. Mary Muthoni, Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, and Mr. Anthony Lenaiyara, Acting CEO of the Digital Health Agency.
The meeting marks a critical step in fortifying Kenya’s healthcare regulatory framework, with a renewed focus on quality, transparency, and accountability.
