Kenya’s leading health worker unions have raised alarm over the proposed Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, 2025.
In a press statement issued on June 19, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), speaking on behalf of the health sector caucus, accused the Ministry of Health of sidelining key stakeholders in drafting the bill, particularly healthcare implementers.
KUCO called the bill a duplication of existing laws and a potential threat to healthcare standards.
The union says the bill introduces legal redundancies and fails to address core systemic issues undermining healthcare quality.
“Almost 80% of the content in the draft bill is already covered in existing legislation, including the Health Act 2017, the Public Health Act, and the Kenya Quality Model for Health,” KUCO said, adding that instead of streamlining healthcare, the bill risks confusion and duplication of roles.
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New Patient Safety Bill 2025
The bill purports to improve the quality and safety of healthcare delivery in Kenya, a goal the union supports. However, KUCO argues that the approach is flawed.
“True quality healthcare is effective, safe, people-centred, timely, equitable, efficient, and well-integrated. These goals are already enshrined in various current laws and policies.”
One of the major concerns raised is the lack of an independent quality assurance mechanism.
According to the union, the bill preserves a flawed structure where one entity is responsible for registration, licensing and accreditation of health facilities.
The union termed the process as having historically led to misclassification, corruption, and poor service delivery.
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“A strong and progressive quality assurance mechanism must involve a two-tier system: regulatory bodies to register and license, and an independent authority to verify and accredit,” the union said.
Health Union Demands
The union cited a 2022 High Court ruling by Judge Wesley Korir, which recommended amending the Health Act 2017 as a more efficient and cost-effective path to strengthening healthcare quality rather than introducing new, potentially conflicting legislation.
“The Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) was affirmed as the lead agency for healthcare quality assurance. The proposed bill undermines this legal directive by attempting to establish a parallel authority,” the statement read.
They are now calling for the withdrawal of the draft bill and a more inclusive process that prioritises strengthening existing structures over legislative duplication.
“We remain committed to quality and safe healthcare. But the way forward must be collaborative, informed, and grounded in what already works,” the union concluded.
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