Wamuzi News Ke
The High Court has declared that President William Ruto’s taskforce on health human resources is unconstitutional.
President Ruto established the Presidential Taskforce on Human Resources for Health in July 2024, appointing Professor Khama Rogo as its chair, with the goal of addressing critical challenges in Kenya’s healthcare sector.
However, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and several civil society groups contested its legitimacy in court, arguing that the taskforce unlawfully duplicated the responsibilities of the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council, a statutory body created under the Health Act of 2017. They also accused the government of failing to operationalize this council as required by law.
On February 6, Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled that the taskforce was unconstitutional.
The Attorney General sought a 30-day delay in implementing the ruling since the taskforce was nearing the end of its term, but Justice Mwamuye dismissed the request.
The 20-member team was initially given six months to formulate strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining healthcare workers. Its primary objective was to identify legal and policy hurdles hindering healthcare delivery and propose reforms to strengthen the workforce.
In December 2024, President Ruto extended the taskforce’s mandate by 60 days, allowing it until March 2025 to finalize its recommendations.
The team was assigned to develop a structured employment plan for 20,000 healthcare workers— including doctors, nurses, and clinical officers— in an effort to enhance Kenya’s doctor-to-patient ratio in line with World Health Organization standards.
Additionally, the taskforce was responsible for evaluating the existing workforce and recommending improvements to boost healthcare service delivery across the country. Its findings are expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of Kenya’s health sector.
Earlier this month, the taskforce presented its report to the National Assembly’s Health Committee, highlighting key challenges such as inefficiencies within the Ministry of Health, regulatory conflicts, poor data management, and concerns about the quality of medical training.
The report also emphasized the need to harmonize conflicting policies and establish a centralized health data system to improve security and accessibility of information.
