The Ministry of Health has announced a policy directive that prioritises the employment, licensing, and deployment of Kenyan-trained health professionals over foreign practitioners.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 7, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said Kenya will now give first consideration to local practitioners before routinely licensing foreign doctors and other health professionals.
He explained that the directive is driven by the significant public funds invested in training health workers, making it necessary to ensure Kenyans benefit first from those investments.
"The Ministry of Health wishes to clarify that Kenya will prioritize the licensing and deployment of qualified Kenyan health practitioners before considering the routine licensing of foreign doctors and other health professionals.
"The Government has invested substantial public resources drawn from Kenyan taxpayers-into training doctors, nurses, clinical officers and specialists at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is therefore both prudent and just that Kenyans trained using public resources are given first priority to serve our country," he said
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The Ministry further stated that the policy is supported by global standards and guidance, noting that international organisations recognise the importance of countries building their own health workforce.
"This position is firmly grounded in international best practice. Global bodies such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) consistently affirm the principle that countries should prioritise employment opportunities for their own qualified health workforce as part of national workforce planning, sustainability, and health system resilience.
"No country world over has developed a sustainable health system with foreign health workforce," he added.
Duale clarified that the directive will not affect health professionals from East African Community member states.
"The Ministry wishes to emphasise that this policy does not apply to countries within the East African Community (EAC) region. Kenya remains fully committed to regional integration and continues to honour reciprocal recognition agreements within the EAC framework, which allows for mutual recognition of qualifications and regulated professional mobility among Partner States," he explained.
At the same time, Duale said it will retain flexibility by assessing applications from foreign practitioners individually, but only where national interests are clearly served.
"At the same time, the Ministry will continue to exercise discretion by reviewing applications for foreign practitioners on a case-by-case basis, strictly guided by national interest.
"Priority will only be given where there is a demonstrable skills gap particularly in highly specialised or emerging fields where local capacity is not yet available or sub-optimal and where such engagement supports local knowledge transfer and system strengthening," he further said.
Duale added that Kenya’s approach mirrors policies applied by many other countries and should not be interpreted as exclusionary.
"This approach is neither isolationist nor unique to Kenya. Many countries-including high-income nations-apply similar policies that prioritise local professionals while allowing carefully regulated entry of foreign practitioners in exceptional circumstances. This is recognised internationally as a legitimate sovereign function of health workforce regulation," he pointed out.
The ministry also raised concerns about patient safety and regulatory integrity, citing instances where foreign practitioners seek registration in Kenya without proper credentials or recognition in their home countries.
"The policy also responds to a critical regulatory concern. The Ministry has observed cases where individuals seek registration to practise in Kenya despite lacking recognition, good standing, or licensure in their countries of origin.
"International regulatory norms, including guidance from WHO and global professional councils, require host countries to safeguard patient safety by preventing such practices and curbing professional misconduct," Duale stated.
This comes weeks after Duale issued a warning to a section of doctors, accusing them of undermining public healthcare by diverting patients from government hospitals to private facilities for personal gain.
Speaking in Tharaka Nithi County on Tuesday, December 16, he said some doctors were deliberately delaying surgeries in the public facility and then privately approaching patients to offer quicker procedures in private hospitals.
"Kenyatta has 26 theatres, you go for surgery, you are told 'come back after two months'. If you agree the doctor follows you and says 'if you go to a certain private hospital in town, I will do it tomorrow,' can you imagine? And I want to tell Kenyatta doctors, they either work for Kenyatta or they become private consultants," he said.
Duale urged Kenyans to embrace the government’s digital health platform, Afya Yangu, saying it would empower patients and prevent abuse within the system.
He explained that the platform would allow users to track medical services, costs, and insurance balances in real time.
"All Kenyans with a smartphone, install Afya Yangu. If you have it, it will show you everything from medical checks, cost and your balance. No one will steal from you. We want to ensure every claim is verified and every fraud loophole is sealed," he added.
