KUCO Chair Slams Patient Safety Bill, Cites Poor Funding in Health Sector
The draft Patient Safety Bill seeks to improve the provision of healthcare by creating an authority to register and license healthcare facilities
Wachira warned that without proper funding, the bill will end up as another policy that does little to improve services .Photo/K24 Digital
By Juliet Jerotich
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) chairman Peterson Wachira has criticized the government for failing to tackle the real problems that affect healthcare.
In comments on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in a live television interview, Wachira stated that the Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill 2025 reads well on paper but misses the larger picture.
If we are to realize real quality in healthcare, then we must talk of increasing the health budget. The biggest issue is a lack of money, and that stops us from hiring more personnel,” he said.
Wachira warned that without sufficient funding, the bill would be just another policy with minimal effect in improving services.
We need to address delays in hospitals and ensure we have proper equipment to do the right diagnosis. If this bill doesn’t fix that, it’s not tackling the issue,” he said.
He urged the government to increase supervision in the hospitals but would not fault health workers for an imperfect system.
“Yes, we need accountability for individuals and facilities. But do we ask ourselves—are health workers the problem? What motivates healthcare quality?” he asked.
Wachira also questioned if the bill is coordinated with Kenya’s Vision 2030 goals, saying there exists a broad gap between policy and practice.
“There is no alignment between what is in this bill and what Vision 2030 needs us to achieve,” he said.
He cited Ethiopia’s success in reducing maternal deaths by half by empowering clinical officers to conduct emergency surgeries.
The draft Patient Safety Bill seeks to improve the provision of healthcare by creating an authority to register and license healthcare facilities, monitor standards, and offer a tribunal for complaints.
There will be patient rights like access to skilled doctors, clear medical information, and respectful treatment.
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