The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced plans to establish a dedicated anti-fraud police unit to tackle the rising cases of unlicensed and untrained individuals providing fake medical services across Kenya.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed on Sunday that the nationwide crackdown will target illegal clinics and rogue practitioners, with the special police unit working alongside officials from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to enforce professional standards.
“We will crack the whip. We are planning to form an Anti-fraud police unit to deal with fraud in SHA,” CS Duale stated. “If you are a quack doctor or a healthcare practitioner who is not licensed, I am telling them they better look for somewhere else where they can do quack business.”
The Ministry also plans to digitise the healthcare system through a central dashboard, listing all licensed dentists, physicians, and pharmacies, while flagging illegal operators.
“The law is very clear, you cannot run a health clinic if you are not licensed by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council. We are forming a multi-agency task force and increasing the KMPDC’s budget,” Duale added.
The announcement comes two weeks after a patient, Amos Isoka, died following a botched tooth extraction at an unlicensed clinic in Kawangware. Isoka passed away at Kenyatta National Hospital after developing severe swelling of the neck, tongue, and chest. CS Duale confirmed that KNH would waive all medical bills for the late patient.
A new regulatory framework, referred to as the “Scope of Practice,” is also set to be implemented. It will define the procedures that each health worker is legally allowed to perform, ensuring only trained professionals conduct medical interventions.
Meanwhile, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) returned to the Kawangware clinic, seizing laboratory equipment, assorted drugs, and an identification card linked to a suspect named Lowrence King’atua Kamau. A manhunt is ongoing for individuals still at large.
The move underscores Kenya’s commitment to safeguarding public health and eliminating quackery, which has endangered lives and undermined trust in the medical profession.
