The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) and the Kenya Dental Association (KDA) have raised alarm over alleged corruption, fraudulent health facility registration and irregular licensure at the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), calling for urgent and independent investigations.
In a joint statement dated February 26, 2026, the two professional bodies said they were “deeply concerned” by reports and allegations of corruption and bribery involving certain staff and board officials at the council, which regulates medical and dental practitioners in the country.
“The medical and dental profession is founded on integrity, public trust, and a deep commitment to patient welfare. We are therefore deeply concerned by reports and allegations of corruption and bribery involving certain staff and board officials at the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council,” the statement read.
KMA and KDA cited allegations relating to the fraudulent registration of non-compliant or fictitious health facilities under the Social Health Authority (SHA), as well as the irregular licensure of individuals with suspect or unverified qualifications.
“If proven, such actions point to deliberate attempts to defraud the Social Health Authority and members of the public, while exposing patients to unsafe and substandard care,” the associations said.
The two bodies warned that corruption within a statutory regulatory authority undermines professional standards and erodes public confidence in the healthcare system.
They said such misconduct distorts fair competition, disadvantages ethical practitioners and ultimately compromises patient safety.
“Any form of corruption within a statutory regulatory body mandated to oversee professional standards is unacceptable,” the statement added. “Where corruption infiltrates these processes, it harms not only practitioners but also the millions of Kenyans who depend on safe, accountable healthcare services.”
The associations noted that individuals implicated in the allegations have since been interdicted to pave the way for investigations.
They described the move as necessary to safeguard the integrity of the investigative process and protect institutional credibility.
They further called for investigations to proceed independently, transparently and without interference.
KMA and KDA urged the Ministry of Health to institute urgent administrative oversight measures to protect the integrity of the regulatory framework.
They also appealed to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to conduct thorough and expedited investigations, including forensic reviews of facility registrations, practitioner licensure records and SHA claims processes.
“Where culpability is established, those responsible must be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
Reaffirming their commitment to ethical practice and patient protection, the associations emphasised that the medical and dental professions must remain guided by honour, discipline and public trust.
