Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to quality and integrity in healthcare.
Duale stated that the Social Health Authority (SHA) model is designed to reward providers who deliver dignified, efficient, and safe care.
Speaking during an engagement with the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals and other private healthcare providers, the CS highlighted the recent enforcement of the bed capacity access rule to align SHA reimbursements with actual facility capacity, and urged providers to update their bed numbers with KMPDC to avoid service disruptions.
“Integrity and service quality must go hand in hand,” the Duale emphasized.
He further warned that public or private health facilities that compromise on quality or abuse the system will be shut down.
In addition, Duale cautioned against the misuse of OTP pre-authorization codes, stressing that such breaches undermine trust in the system.
He further noted ongoing Ministry consultations with the Council of Governors (CoG) and other state departments to harmonize licensing procedures and ease regulatory burdens for providers, including the rationalization of Single Business Permits.
The CS also supported the revival and institutionalization of the Ministerial Stakeholders Forum (MSF) as a bi-annual platform with clear terms of reference and actionable follow-up plans.
On policy, he announced the imminent finalization of the Quality of Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, which sets enforceable standards to ensure that Universal Health Coverage (UHC) delivers safe, timely, affordable, and dignified care across all facilities.
The CS called on private providers to embrace honest engagement on both strengths and system gaps, shared responsibility for public-interest reforms and collaboration in innovation—particularly digital health, sustainable financing, and community-level solutions.
KAPH welcomed the dialogue and proposed quarterly meetings to deepen collaboration on UHC..
