Two people have been nabbed in Nairobi as authorities intensify a crackdown on unlicensed health facilities operating illegally within the city and its surrounding areas.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations revealed that in a joint operation, detectives from the Operation Support Unit (OSU), working alongside officers from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), apprehended the persons of interest in Kawangware’s Congo area, within Dagoretti
The persons of interest were identified.
Investigations revealed that the facility was operating without a valid licence and that the second suspect was practising at an unlicensed medical institution.
Authorities said the two were engaged in illegal medical operations, posing serious risks to unsuspecting members of the public who seek healthcare services from unregulated facilities.
The persons of interest are currently in police custody, undergoing processing, and are pending arraignment in court.
“They are set to be charged with operating an unlicensed health institution, an offence punishable under Section 15(1) and Section 22(5) of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act, CAP 253, Laws of Kenya.”
Further, the DCI reiterated its commitment, in collaboration with KMPDC, to dismantling unlicensed health facilities and protecting the public from quack medical practitioners through sustained nationwide operations.
KMPDC Crackdown
This comes a few months after KMPDC announced the closure of hundreds of health premises across the country found to be operating illegally.
In a gazette notice dated August 29, 2025, KMPDC Chief Executive Officer David Kariuki confirmed that at least 544 health institutions had been shut down for operating without proper registration or licensing.
The facilities are spread across several counties, including Nairobi, Wajir, Homa Bay, Kisii, Mandera, and Nyamira.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, in accordance with Section 15 (11) and Section 22 (5), has closed the premises were closed for being used as a health institution without being duly registered or licensed,” the notice read.
The Council further revealed that 454 premises had their licenses revoked, while additional facilities were downgraded for failing to meet required standards.
