Cabinet has approved a new health Bill aimed at tightening control over the country’s healthcare system and protecting patients from unsafe practices. The Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, 2025, received approval and Cabinet backing during a meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi. The Bill proposes a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed clinics, fraudulent practitioners, and substandard services by setting strict operational standards across all health facilities, laboratories, and ambulance services.
A statement from the Cabinet described Kenya’s current regulatory environment as weak, with loopholes that allow unqualified individuals to run medical centers with little or no oversight. “This lack of clear standards, coupled with weak oversight and collusion among facilities, regulators, and practitioners, has left patients vulnerable and eroded accountability,” the Cabinet noted.
If passed, the law will establish an independent Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Authority. The new body will have powers to license, register, and accredit all medical facilities and personnel. It will also monitor service delivery, enforce national care standards, and ensure compliance with patient rights protections.
Facilities will be required to submit mandatory quality improvement plans, with penalties for non-compliance. Emergency services will be subject to strict operational rules, including standards for ambulance operations and response protocols.
The government says the law is a direct response to growing public concerns about unchecked malpractice, negligence, and the collapse of trust in health institutions.
“The goal is to restore faith in the health system by enforcing order and ensuring patients receive safe, quality care,” a senior health official said.
The Bill also introduces stronger protection of patient rights, including mechanisms for patients to report unsafe conditions or unethical behavior. These reports will be investigated under a framework that emphasizes transparency and accountability.
The proposed law is now set to move through Parliament for debate and approval before it can be signed into law.
If enacted, it would mark the most comprehensive reform to Kenya’s healthcare system in over a decade.
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