NAIROBI -In a quiet but significant shift, Kenya’s medical regulator has gone digital. The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has launched an online registration system aimed at tightening oversight and clearing up the country’s often chaotic health sector.
The council, which licenses and regulates doctors, dentists, and health facilities across Kenya, says the new e-platform will replace outdated paperwork with a faster, more transparent system.
“This marks a major step forward,” said Dr David Kariuki, KMPDC’s chief executive officer, in a statement on Monday. “We’re moving away from manual processes and embracing technology to bring efficiency, accountability, and better service delivery.”
The system will guide applicants whether hospitals, clinics or individual practitioners through a step-by-step online process. They will be required to submit key information, including location, names of directors, available services, staff details, and proof of compliance with Kenyan law.
Behind the scenes, the platform automatically validates records and keeps detailed audit trails, making it easier for the council to track licensing history and spot inconsistencies.
For years, Kenya’s health sector has struggled with inconsistent licensing and a lack of up-to-date records, leaving room for malpractice and ghost facilities. The new system aims to change that.
Kariuki said the digital shift is in line with the government’s broader push to modernise public services. “This isn’t just about convenience,” he added. “It’s about public trust. When health professionals and institutions are properly licensed and tracked, the public can feel more confident in the care they receive.”
The platform, he said, is compliant with Kenya’s 2019 Data Protection Act, which means all submissions are encrypted and only accessible to authorised users. Applicants can log in at any time to check progress, while the council can issue alerts and approvals without delay.
KMPDC, established in 1978, is the statutory body responsible for overseeing medical and dental training, licensing, and ethics. It also inspects and approves health facilities across the country.
The e-registration system is expected to speed up licensing, reduce paperwork errors, and strengthen regulation in a sector that has seen its fair share of scandals in recent years from unlicensed clinics to the proliferation of quack doctors.
While the platform has been welcomed by many, some in the private health sector say they are waiting to see how smoothly the rollout goes.
“We support digitisation,” said one Nairobi-based clinic manager who asked not to be named. “But systems like these often have bugs early on. The real test will be how quickly issues are resolved and how user-friendly it truly is.”
Still, experts agree the effort is long overdue.
“If it works as intended, this will plug a lot of gaps in oversight,” said Dr Catherine Mwangi, a health policy consultant. “It’s a necessary move, especially with the rapid growth of private health facilities in the country.”
As Kenya’s health needs evolve and the population grows, the pressure on regulators like KMPDC is only expected to increase. With this digital shift, the council hopes to not only catch up but set a new standard for how health systems are managed in the region.
