Nairobi tops list in national closure of 511 health facilities

A nationwide inspection of private health facilities by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has led to the closure of 511 clinics across three counties, with 267 others downgraded and 31 people arrested.

The inspection, which began in consultation with the Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, targeted Mandera, Nairobi, and Wajir counties.

KMPDC on Tuesday announced that they inspected a total of 1,525 facilities across the three counties.

In Nairobi, 1,017 facilities were inspected, with 376 closed and 23 downgraded.

In Mandera, 269 facilities were inspected, 58 closed, and 60 downgraded.

Wajir saw 239 inspections, with 77 closures and 184 downgrades.

"Most of the closed facilities lacked basic infrastructure such as space for essential departments like pharmacy, maternity, and laboratory," KMPDC said.

Poor sanitation and lack of clean water, waste disposal, and working toilets were also found in several facilities.

Some facilities were also found to be operating without valid licenses or had unregistered medical personnel on site.

"This poses a serious risk to patient safety and undermines the credibility of healthcare services," the council said.

Facilities that were downgraded had major gaps in services, equipment, or staff.

"They did not offer the full range of services they were registered to provide and lacked essential personnel like doctors, nurses, or lab technicians," KMPDC added.

In addition, the council warned that any facility not open during the expected hours of operation will be marked as closed and removed from the official register.

The inspection exercise is still ongoing across the country.

"KMPDC calls on all health facilities to be available for the exercise," the council said.