The Kenya Dental Association (KDA) has raised alarm over the proliferation of unapproved and substandard healthcare training programmes in universities and colleges.
They warned that such courses risk producing unqualified practitioners and endangering patient safety.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Tuesday, KDA President Dr. Kahura Mundia said healthcare training institutions must align their programmes with standards set by the Ministries of Health and Education to ensure graduates attain the required competencies for professional practice.
Dr Mundia said the Ministry of Health had already issued directives requiring all healthcare-related courses, including dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and nursing, to conform to national and international professional standards.
“The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health must work together because healthcare training cannot operate independently without consultation,” he said.
He noted that oral health studies in Kenya are currently offered under the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme, which has been the recognised training standard for decades, adding that attempts to fragment the discipline into alternative degree programmes without proper structures and approvals were unacceptable.
“We have a degree that has been in practice for the last 50 years, where students undergo rigorous training, internships and competency assessments before they are licensed. Universities cannot set up programmes without hospitals, equipment, trainers and patients for clinical exposure,” said Dr. Mundia.
He warned that students enrolled in unapproved programmes risk failing to obtain professional license upon graduation, leading to loss of school fees and wasted years of study.
“These persons now risk non-licensure because they cannot see patients if they have not been trained in the right way,” he said.
The KDA President cited concerns over emerging programmes in several universities, saying some institutions were introducing courses that did not align with internationally accepted competency standards in healthcare training.
According to Dr Mundia, healthcare workers must undergo supervised practical training, maintain logbooks and complete internship requirements before being cleared to work independently.
“You cannot go out and see patients without logbooks, internship records and proper supervision. Healthcare is not a place where you just stand near a doctor and watch,” he stated.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health had convened meetings with stakeholders, including universities and professional regulators, where institutions committed themselves to aligning their programmes with ministry directives by September this year.
“To go back and claim there was no consultation is mischievous because the universities attended the meetings and committed themselves to standardisation,” he said.
Dr Mundia further called on private universities to invest adequately in healthcare training infrastructure to meet global standards.
“We need enough doctors in the country, but they must be properly trained to provide quality healthcare services,” he added.
In a recent court ruling regarding the matter, Dr Mundia clarified that the court had directed the Ministry of Education to pronounce itself on the issue but emphasized that the ministry could not act without consulting the Ministry of Health.
“The Ministry of Health has already consulted the Ministry of Education, so there is nothing to celebrate about continuing with illegal programmes,” he said.
The KDA President also cautioned parents and students against enrolling in unaccredited courses offered by institutions lacking approval from relevant regulatory bodies.
“Parents should be careful not to take their children to schools offering programmes that do not meet professional standards,” he warned.
Dr Mundia disclosed that some affected students had already been advised to undertake refresher and retraining programmes to align their qualifications with national competency requirements.
KDA officials who accompanied Dr Mundia reiterated that the association’s position was aimed at safeguarding public health and maintaining professional standards.
Dr Muiridi Kaaria, a prosthodontist and lecturer, described the emergence of such programmes as “quackery in training”, saying they undermine the integrity of the dental profession.
“We are fighting for public safety. Introducing programmes that do not adequately prepare dentists for the market is a disservice to Kenyans,” he said.
Dr Laura Izaya, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi School of Dental Sciences, said although Kenya faces a shortage of healthcare workers, lowering training standards is not the solution.
“A shortage does not mean we expose people to substandard care. It means we must increase efforts to train qualified personnel who can provide quality healthcare,” she said.
The association further expressed concern over the rapid growth of medical colleges and healthcare programmes without proper accreditation, warning that many students risk being blacklisted after graduation.
Dr Mundia urged all institutions planning to introduce healthcare courses to strictly follow the law, engage stakeholders and obtain approvals from the relevant authorities before admitting students.
“If something is illegal, it is legal to stop it. Standards must be maintained for the safety of patients and the credibility of Kenya’s healthcare system,” he said.
by Paskal Osonga and Molvin Laventa
