The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has shut down 544 health facilities across the country for operating without valid registration or licenses.
In a gazette notice dated August 29, 2025, KMPDC Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Kariuki confirmed that the affected facilities were spread across counties including Nairobi, Wajir, Homa Bay, Kisii, Mandera and Nyamira.
“The premises were closed for being used as health institutions without being duly registered or licensed, in line with Section 15 (11) and Section 22 (5) of the law,” the notice stated.
Alongside the closures, the regulator revoked licenses of 454 other health facilities and downgraded several more for failing to meet the required standards.
The move follows an earlier crackdown in Nairobi where 158 facilities were closed after inspections of 288 premises revealed that many were either unregistered or operating below safety standards. Twenty-five facilities in the capital were downgraded, while 105 were cleared to continue operations.
Dr. Kariuki said the council’s inspections uncovered facilities run by unqualified personnel, lacking essential infrastructure such as pharmacies, maternity wings or laboratories. Others had poor sanitation and unsafe waste disposal, posing significant risks to patients.
“The Council shall not allow quacks and unlicensed persons to endanger the lives of Kenyans,” he warned.
The crackdown is being conducted in partnership with county governments and other regulators under the Inspections and Licensing Rules, 2022.
The regulations empower KMPDC to carry out regular inspections, enforce annual license renewals and suspend or revoke licenses of noncompliant facilities.
“These rules are designed not just to enforce order but to promote accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement in healthcare delivery,” Kariuki said, stressing that only duly licensed institutions are legally permitted to operate.
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