KUCO boss criticises govt for failing to address core issues affecting health sector
By David Nthua, August 5, 2025The National Chairperson of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Peterson Wachira, has today announced his opposition to the Patients Safety Bill 2025.
Speaking during an interview with one of the local TV stations on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Wachira said that while the intention behind the bill may appear noble, it falls short of addressing the core challenges crippling Kenya’s healthcare system.
Lack of funding at the centre
“If we truly want quality, then this bill must outline how we are going to increase budgetary allocations to health, because our main problem has been a lack of financing, which is why we are unable to hire,” he said.
Wachira argued that without clear funding commitments, the proposed law risks being another policy on paper that fails to change the reality on the ground.
“If we are not addressing the core issues that ensure patients don’t wait for long hours and that we can diagnose correctly because we have the right equipment, then we are missing the point,” he added.
Question of accountability and fairness
While calling for better oversight in healthcare delivery, Wachira warned against unfairly blaming individual health workers for systemic failures.
“If we can enforce accountability on health providers, be it the individual health worker or the facility, then we can deliver quality healthcare to Kenyans,” he said.
“But the question remains: Has the health worker been the problem? And what exactly contributes to that quality?”
Vision 2030 mismatch
Wachira also questioned whether the bill aligns with Kenya’s long-term development blueprint, noting a growing disconnect between policy and practice.
“There is no congruence between what we are doing and what our Vision 2030 outlines,” he said.
He cited an example from Ethiopia, where the government introduced specialised emergency surgical training for clinical officers, reducing maternal mortality from 700 to under 100.
What is the Patients’ Safety Bill 2025?
The Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill, 2025, is a new law that hopes to improve how health services are given in Kenya. It will set clear rules to make sure patients are treated well and safely.
The bill will create a health Authority to register, license, and check hospitals and clinics. It also sets up a Tribunal to help solve health-related complaints fairly.
Patients will have rights like seeing trained doctors, getting clear information, and being treated with respect.