Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale hosted the Board of Management of the National Quality Control Laboratory (NQCL) for a strategic engagement aimed at enhancing the quality assurance of health products and technologies in Kenya. The high-level meeting, led by NQCL Chairperson Dr. John Muturi, focused on strengthening the laboratory’s institutional capacity to support the national agenda of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under the Taifa Care Model.
The discussions highlighted NQCL’s pivotal role in ensuring that all medical products circulating in the country meet the highest standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. This initiative is part of Kenya’s broader efforts to attain World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) for health product regulation—an achievement that would align the country with international benchmarks for regulatory excellence.
The Health CS emphasized that attaining WHO ML3 status is vital for enhancing Kenya’s credibility in global health product regulation. He noted that strengthening NQCL’s institutional effectiveness is key to building public confidence, improving access to quality-assured medicines, and safeguarding public health.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the laboratory’s operational challenges and explored sustainable strategies to enhance performance, efficiency, and service delivery. Hon. Duale reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to supporting NQCL in fulfilling its mandate, emphasizing the need for robust governance structures, strategic coordination, and continuous performance monitoring.
He also underscored the importance of reducing laboratory turnaround times to the required 42 days, noting that timely testing and certification of medical products are critical to maintaining client trust and institutional credibility. This, he added, would contribute significantly to improving the delivery of healthcare services across the country.
The Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed that quality assurance remains a cornerstone of Kenya’s UHC agenda, emphasizing that effective regulation of health commodities is essential to protecting the lives and well-being of citizens. He called on all stakeholders within the health sector to work collaboratively in ensuring that quality systems are strengthened across all levels.
The meeting was attended by senior Ministry of Health officials, including the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms. Mary Muthoni, and the Director-General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth.
