Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced bold reforms aimed at eliminating hospital overcrowding in Kenya, asserting that no Kenyan will be forced to sleep on the floor under the new Social Health Authority (SHA) system.
Speaking during the launch of the TaifaCare program in Kisumu County on Wednesday, July 16, Duale declared a new era of healthcare standards, underscoring the government’s commitment to ensuring dignity and quality care for all patients. Central to this promise is the introduction of the “bed capacity access rule,” which mandates that all health facilities whether public, private, or faith-based must meet a minimum standard of care, particularly regarding the availability of beds.
“We will not allow any Kenyan to sleep on the floor. Not in public, private, or faith-based hospitals. That era is gone,” Duale said, adding that facilities must now invest in infrastructure upgrades to match the increasing demand for medical services.
“If you want more patients, go buy more beds. If you have beds but no space, build more wards,” he added.
To enforce these standards, the Ministry of Health has already shut down over 1,000 facilities that failed to meet basic operational requirements. Duale revealed that another 1,000 facilities are earmarked for closure in the coming month unless they comply with the SHA regulations.
Hospitals will now be required to operate strictly within their licensed status from Level 2 dispensaries to Level 6 national referral hospitals. Duale warned that facilities exaggerating their capacity or offering services beyond their approved mandate would face closure.
“You cannot claim to do more surgeries than Kenyatta or Jaramogi hospitals while operating in a tiny room. Either upgrade or close,” he stated.
The SHA is a key component of President William Ruto’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda and aims to ensure accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all Kenyans. Through initiatives like TaifaCare, the government seeks to overhaul the country’s health system and eliminate long-standing challenges such as overcrowding, underfunding, and substandard care.
