Kenya Launches Multi-Sectoral Reforms to Strengthen Health Workforce Training
Nairobi , Kenya - - Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, alongside Education Cabinet Secretary Hon. Julius Ogamba, has inaugurated a Multi-Sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG), marking the start of a strategic reform process to strengthen health workforce training and safeguard quality healthcare for future generations.
The initiative follows high-level consultations between the Health and Education sectors aimed at aligning training with Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees every Kenyan the highest attainable standard of health.
As Kenya advances Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Cabinet Secretary emphasised that a well-trained, ethically grounded, and clinically competent health workforce is central to delivering quality care.
Deliberations during the meeting identified critical gaps in training, including programmes not aligned to population health priorities, curricula that fall outside professional scopes of practice, student enrolment exceeding clinical training capacity, and qualifications lacking regulatory recognition. These challenges risk compromising standards of care and limiting employment pathways for graduates.
The TWG has been tasked with developing a harmonised, competency-based training framework aligned to national health priorities and designed to ensure all graduates are clinically ready to serve.
Guided by World Health Organization standards, the reforms will strengthen regulation from the point of education, integrate evidence-based workforce planning, and align training capacity with disease burden, staffing needs, and service demand across all 47 counties.
The Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to implementing the reforms, noting that collaboration between government, regulators, and academic institutions will accelerate progress towards UHC.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretaries Mary Muthoni, Beatrice Muganda, Julius Bitok, Director General for Health Patrick Amoth, and technical teams from both Ministries.