The Ministry of Health has directed that Kenyan-trained health professionals will be given priority in licensing and employment before foreign doctors and other health practitioners.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the government has made substantial investments in training doctors, nurses, clinical officers and specialists, arguing that Kenyans educated using public funds should prioritise serving the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday January 7, Duale emphasised that this approach is consistent with international best practice, which encourages countries to prioritise their local health workforce.
''Global bodies such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Health Organisation (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,'' the statement read in part.
''The Ministry of Health wishes to clarify that Kenya will prioritise the licensing and deployment of qualified Kenyan health practitioners before considering the routine licensing of foreign doctors and other health professionals. It is therefore both prudent and just that Kenyans trained using public resources are given first priority to serve our country.''
According to the Ministry, no country has built a sustainable health system solely on foreign health workers, making the prioritisation of the local workforce essential for Kenya.
CS Duale noted that the directive will not apply to citizens from East African Community member states, saying Kenya remains committed to regional integration and to existing mutual recognition agreements within the bloc.
The ministry added that, moving forward, foreign health professionals will be vetted on a case-by-case basis, mainly for highly specialised or emerging areas where local expertise remains limited.
At the same time, the ministry stressed that any foreign engagement must also contribute to knowledge transfer and strengthening the local health system.
Duale added that licensing procedures will continue to ensure that only qualified and licensed practitioners are allowed to work, in a bid to safeguard patient safety and professional integrity.
Meanwhile, the new policy fronted by the ministry is in line with global practices where countries give preference to their local workforce while allowing regulated entry of foreign practitioners under exceptional circumstances.
Currently, Kenya has roughly 14,829 registered doctors, but only 3,930 are serving in the public sector across national and county health facilities.
The remaining doctors, making up roughly 62 per cent of the workforce, practise in the private sector, including private hospitals and clinics.
