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Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni addressing the media at Afya House on March 18, 2024.[Boniface Okendo, Standard]
The Ministry of Health has directed the immediate closure of all unregistered aesthetic clinics and beauty spas across the country, following a nationwide compliance assessment.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has instructed the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) to initiate the shutdown of facilities operating without licenses.
The assessment, which targeted facilities offering plastic surgery and invasive medical procedures such as micro-blading uncovered serious violations.
Among the 26 aesthetic clinics inspected, the ministry found; that three had applied for registration but were still awaiting approval and three others were operating illegally without registration.
Additionally, of the 102 beauty spas assessed; seven were found to be illegally performing procedures such as microblading and microneedling without certified personnel.
Many lacked the necessary licensing and medical oversight to conduct invasive treatments.
The violations were most prevalent in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Eldoret counties where 40 per cent of facilities lacked essential medical supplies, and another 25 per cent failed to meet infection prevention and control standards, posing serious health risks.
In response, PS Muthoni issued the following directives:
That all facilities with inadequate infection control measures must comply within 30 days, clinics lacking emergency medical provisions must establish and equip emergency trays within 60 days, and all aesthetic clinics without Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to implement them within 60 days.
The Ministry has also banned beauty spas from offering or advertising invasive medical procedures unless they are properly registered, inspected, and licensed.
The crackdown was initiated in November 2024 following the death of Lucy Wambui Ng’ang’a, who suffered complications after undergoing a liposuction procedure at Omnicare Medical in Nairobi.
Liposuction, a cosmetic procedure that removes fat from targeted areas of the body, can be life-threatening if performed under unsafe conditions.
"The Ministry of Health is concerned about the death of Ms. Lucy Wambui, who passed away while undergoing a plastic surgery procedure at Omnicare Medical Limited, operating as ‘Body By Design’ in Nairobi County," Muthoni stated, citing the incident as a catalyst for the countrywide crackdown.
The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting,
digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading
multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
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