Kenya to Prioritise Local Health Workers Before Hiring Foreign Doctors, Says CS Duale
In a statement issued to newsrooms, CS Duale said the move is aimed at ensuring Kenyans trained using public resources are given first priority to serve the country
By : Mweru Mbugua
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced that the government will prioritise the licensing and deployment of qualified Kenyan health practitioners before considering the recruitment of foreign doctors
In a statement issued to newsrooms, CS Duale said the move is aimed at ensuring Kenyans trained using public resources are given first priority to serve the country
He noted that the State invests heavily in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical training and must safeguard opportunities for its own workforce
The CS explained that the directive follows concerns by the Ministry of Health over cases where some foreign practitioners seek registration to practise in Kenya despite lacking proper recognition in their countries of origin
According to Duale, the policy aligns with international best practices as outlined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which encourage countries to prioritise employment for their own qualified health professionals
“No country in the world has built a sustainable health system by relying on a foreign health workforce before considering the routine licensing of foreign doctors and other health professionals,” Duale said
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He added that the Ministry of Health will continue to review applications from foreign practitioners on a case-by-case basis, guided strictly by national interest
Priority for foreign doctors will only be considered where there is a clear and demonstrable skills gap, particularly in highly specialised or emerging medical fields where local expertise is limited or unavailable
“This approach is neither isolationist nor unique to Kenya. Many countries, including high-income nations, apply similar policies that prioritise local professionals while allowing carefully regulated entry of foreign practitioners in exceptional circumstances,” Duale noted
