The government has introduced a bill that aims to establish a healthcare tribunal to resolve disputes between patients, healthcare workers, and providers.
The Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, 2025, will enhance access to justice, promote accountability, and address emerging areas of service such as medical aesthetic procedures, which will be brought under the same regulatory standards for quality and safety as traditional healthcare services.
Among the other proposals, healthcare providers who mismanage patients or operate below acceptable standards may soon face stiff penalties, including fines of up to Ksh50 million and jail terms of up to ten years if a newly proposed bill becomes law.
The bill also proposes the creation of a Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Authority, a new regulatory body tasked with registering, licensing, and accrediting health facilities, overseeing their operations, and enforcing adherence to healthcare standards nationwide.
Speaking during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement forum on the proposed bill on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stated that it is a major step in transforming the country’s health sector.
He highlighted the bill’s potential to advance the country toward Vision 2030, reaffirm BETA priorities, and position Kenya as a continental leader in quality healthcare.
He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to restoring public trust in the health system and urged stakeholders to critically and collaboratively review the Bill to ensure it aligns with Kenya’s UHC agenda and responds to the evolving needs of patients and providers alike.
“The Bill aligns with five key UHC pillars already under implementation: a fully publicly financed primary healthcare system; integration of ICT and telemedicine; ring-fencing of health funds through partnerships with the National Treasury and county governments; establishment of an Emergency Medical Treatment Fund; and the provision of Social Health Insurance for all,” he stated.
Doctor’s strike
This comes a few weeks after medical services across Kiambu County were thrown into disarray when doctors commenced industrial action, citing the administration’s failure to address longstanding grievances.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials, led by National Chairman Abi Mwachi, in a hard-hitting press address on May 17, 2025, cited lack of promotions of doctors as well as punitive actions against those who challenge the county as some of the foremost reasons for the strike.
“The foremost grievance in the county of Kiambu is the lack of promotion of our doctors dating back 10 years,” Mwachi stated.
“The second is taking punitive actions against doctors who raise concerns regarding their workplaces, such as a lack of proper equipment and a lack of medical cover. When a doctor raises such issues, they’re transferred arbitrarily.”
The union accused the Governor Kimani Wamatangi-led county government of dragging its feet even after being granted a 21-day notice period to resolve issues amicably.
“The legally issued strike notice granted the county a generous 21-day window to address and resolve the concerns raised by doctors through dialogue,” KMPDU Central Branch Secretary Bill Muriuki stated.
According to Muriuki, instead, the county administration waited until the eleventh hour to seek legal refuge.
