Clinical officers council opens door for direct SHA contracting
By Mabonga Makhanu, August 6, 2025The Clinical Officers Council has announced that all facilities listed under the council are now eligible for empanelment under the Social Health Authority.
In an X post on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the council stated that all facilities licensed by the Clinical Officers Council (COC) are eligible to apply for contracts with the Social Health Authority (SHA), with no additional licensing required.
“Facilities licensed by the Clinical Officers Council (COC) are eligible to apply for contracts with the Social Health Authority (SHA). No extra license needed! “ COC stated.
Licensing disputes
This comes after months of disputes between SHA and KUCO over the costly requirement of double licensing.
SHA had previously directed clinical officers to register their facilities with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), which oversees doctors and dentists, instead of the Clinical Officers Council (COC). This led to clinical officers being subjected to double licensing, increasing operational costs and administrative burdens.
They also reported that SHA’s system was rejecting their licences when seeking pre-authorisation for procedures, instead requiring a doctor’s licence, despite their professional qualifications.
Exclusion of clinical officers
The development also follows the exclusion of over 1,000 health facilities registered by clinical officers from SHA empanelment. Most of these facilities are located in marginalised areas and had previously been accredited under NHIF. Their exclusion sparked protests from the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and the Kenya Clinical Officers Association, who maintained that the decision was discriminatory and restricted patient access to essential healthcare services.
COC
The Clinical Officers Council (COC) is a Kenyan government agency established under the Clinical Officers (Training, Registration and Licensing) Act No. 20 of 2017. It regulates the training, registration, licensing, and practice of clinical officers, who are critical healthcare providers in Kenya.
Clinical officers handle over 98% of anaesthetic services and operate most Level 2 and 3 facilities (dispensaries and health centres). The COC also licenses health facilities run by clinical officers and advises the government on clinical medicine policy.