President William Ruto’s Cabinet has approved the Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, 2025, a sweeping legislative proposal aimed at overhauling Kenya’s healthcare system by eliminating fraud, malpractice, and regulatory loopholes that have long undermined public trust.

The Bill proposes the establishment of a Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Authority, a powerful regulator mandated to enforce strict national standards, oversee compliance, and monitor the performance of health facilities. It also introduces mandatory licensing, registration, and accreditation for all health facilities, laboratories, and ambulance services.

State House emphasized that weak oversight and collusion among facilities, regulators, and practitioners have left patients vulnerable, eroding accountability and derailing the government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. The reforms will enforce patient rights, introduce quality improvement plans at the facility level, and set clear benchmarks for emergency medical services.

The Cabinet session also approved key economic measures, including the privatisation of Kenya Pipeline Company to boost efficiency, accelerated payments to road contractors to unlock stalled projects, and initiatives to spur infrastructure, youth employment, and energy sector growth.

“These reforms reflect the government’s shift towards enabling the private sector and experts to drive growth, efficiency, and innovation,” State House said in its brief.