ADVOKS GLOBAL · KENYA
Health Act
20. Duties of county government
Edition: 2026-07-10 · In force
20. Duties of county government
The county government in furtherance of the functions assigned to it under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution shall be responsible for—(a)implementing the national health policy and standards as laid down by national government Ministry responsible for health;(b)service delivery, including the maintenance, financing and further development of those health services and institutions that have been devolved to it;(c)coordination of health activities in order to ensure complementary inputs, avoid duplication and provide for cross-referral, where necessary to and from institutions in other counties;(d)facilitating registration, licensing and accreditation of providers and health facilities respectively according to standards set nationally by the national government department responsible for health and relevant regulatory bodies;(e)designation of county referral hospitals according to criteria agreed upon by the intergovernmental health coordinating mechanism;(f)developing and implementing, in consultation with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, such policies as may be necessary to guarantee the staffing of the public health service in marginal areas including taking into account the use of equalization fund;(g)procuring and managing health supplies;(h)maintaining standards of environmental health and sanitation as laid down in applicable law;(i)providing access and practical support for monitoring standards compliance undertaken within the county by the national government department responsible for health, the Authority and professional regulatory bodies established under any written law;(j)providing access and practical support for technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation, research for health by the national and county government department responsible for health;(k)developing supplementary sources of income for the provision of services, in so far as these are compatible with the applicable law;(l)making due provision and develop criteria to compensate healthcare facilities for debts arising through failure to secure payment for bills for non-payment of treatment of indigent users;(m)reporting, according to standards established by law, on activities, development and the state of finance within the county health services;(n)making known to the public at all times the health facilities through which generalized or specialized services are available to them;(o)developing and promoting public participation in the planning and management of local health facilities so as to promote broad ownership;(p)ensuring and coordinating the participation of communities in the governance of health services at the county level so as to promote a participatory approach in healthcare governance.