About the Department
Background
Health is the largest devolved function and the county’s biggest employer. The Department of Health & Sanitation manages the entire county health system — from community health units and dispensaries up to the county referral hospital.
The department combines curative services with an equally strong preventive agenda: immunisation, maternal and child health, disease surveillance, health promotion, food safety and environmental sanitation.
Legal Mandate
The department derives its mandate from:
- The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 (Article 43 — right to health)
- The Health Act, 2017
- The Public Health Act, Cap 242
- The County Governments Act, 2012
- The Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, Cap 254
Constitutional Functions
- County health facilities and pharmacies
- Ambulance and emergency referral services
- Promotion of primary healthcare
- Licensing and control of undertakings that sell food to the public
- Veterinary and public health services (excluding regulation of professionals)
- Refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste disposal
Core Responsibilities
- Delivering curative, preventive and promotive health services
- Managing health commodities and the county pharmacy
- Disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response
- Community health promotion through community health units
- Public health inspection of premises and food handlers
- Solid waste management and environmental sanitation
A healthy, productive county population served by an equitable and responsive health system
Purpose
To provide accessible, affordable and quality promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services to all residents.
Core Values
Integrity
Honest, ethical conduct in every transaction and decision.
Accountability
Responsible use of public resources with clear reporting.
Professionalism
Technical excellence and respect in service delivery.
Innovation
Embracing new methods, data and technology.
Teamwork
Collaboration across directorates and with partners.
Inclusivity
Services accessible to all, including youth, women and PWDs.
Transparency
Open processes, published data and clear communication.
Sustainability
Protecting resources for future generations.
Departmental Leadership
Meet the executive and technical leadership steering the department’s mandate.
Prof. Jacqueline Adhiambo Oduol
Professional Profile
Key Responsibilities
- Health policy formulation and sector oversight
- Representation in the County Executive Committee
- Accounting Officer for the departmental budget
- Partner and intergovernmental health liaison
Dr. Samuel Omondi Owino
Professional Profile
Dr. Omondi is a seasoned medical and public health professional with over 20 years of experience in primary healthcare, health systems management, and the implementation of health programmes across the public and non-governmental sectors.
Key Responsibilities
- Administration of county hospitals and health centres
- Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) holder
- Human resources for health management
- Health infrastructure and equipment planning
Directorates & Units
Select a directorate to view its mandate, objectives, functions and team.
Medical & Curative Services
Mandate
To deliver quality clinical care across all county health facilities.
Objectives
- Reduce facility referral delays
- Achieve 90% essential medicines availability
- Improve patient satisfaction scores
Functions
- Hospital and health centre management
- Specialist outpatient and inpatient services
- Laboratory, imaging and pharmacy services
- Emergency and ambulance referral
Team
Public Health & Sanitation
Mandate
To protect residents through preventive health and environmental sanitation.
Objectives
- Achieve open-defecation-free status county-wide
- Inspect 100% of licensed food premises annually
- Strengthen ward-level disease surveillance
Functions
- Food premises and food handler inspection
- Water quality and sanitation monitoring
- Vector and vermin control
- Solid waste and refuse management
Team
Community Health & Promotion
Mandate
To bring primary healthcare into households through community health units.
Objectives
- Equip and stipend all community health promoters
- Raise full immunisation coverage above 95%
- Increase skilled delivery rates
Functions
- Community health unit coordination
- Immunisation and maternal-child health outreach
- Health education and behaviour change
- Household health data collection
Team
Health Planning, Standards & Commodities
Mandate
To plan, finance and quality-assure health services and supplies.
Objectives
- Eliminate stock-outs of tracer commodities
- Digitise facility health records
- Expand social health insurance registration
Functions
- Health commodity procurement and distribution
- Quality assurance and facility standards
- Health information systems and reporting
- Health financing and insurance facilitation
Team
Find a Service
Search or filter services by category. Download the relevant application form where available.
| Service | Description | Target Users | Application Method | Timeline | Fees | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient & Inpatient Care Advisory |
Clinical consultation, treatment and admission at county facilities. | All residents | Walk-in at any county facility | Same day | Per county health fee schedule | |
| Maternal & Child Health Services Advisory |
Antenatal care, skilled delivery, postnatal and child welfare clinics. | Mothers and children | Walk-in at any facility | Same day | Free | |
| Immunisation Services Advisory |
Routine childhood and campaign immunisation. | Children, target groups | Facility / outreach | Same day | Free | |
| Ambulance & Emergency Referral Advisory |
Emergency transport and inter-facility referral. | All residents | Emergency hotline | Immediate | Free | |
| Food Handler Medical Certificate Certification |
Mandatory health certification for persons handling food. | Food handlers | Public health office | 3 working days | KES 500 | |
| Food Premises Health Licence Licensing |
Annual health licence for hotels, eateries and food outlets. | Food businesses | Public health inspection | 14 working days | From KES 3,000 p.a. | |
| Public Health Premises Inspection Inspections |
Routine and complaint-driven inspection of premises. | Businesses, landlords | Scheduled or on complaint | 7 working days | Free | |
| Burial Permit Permits |
Issuance of burial and body movement permits. | Bereaved families | Public health office | Same day | KES 500 | |
| Solid Waste Collection Service Advisory |
Scheduled refuse collection in towns and market centres. | Households, businesses | Sub-county environment office | Per collection schedule | Per waste tariff | |
| Social Health Insurance Registration Support Registration |
Assistance registering for national health insurance cover. | All residents | Facility registration desk | Same day | Free |
Departmental Projects
County Referral Hospital Upgrade
Expansion of theatre, ICU and maternity capacity at the referral hospital.
Community Health Promoter Programme
Kits, stipends and supervision for community health promoters county-wide.
Health Facility Digitisation
Electronic medical records rollout to 40 high-volume facilities.
Oxygen Plant Installation
On-site medical oxygen production for the referral hospital.
Ambulance Fleet Expansion
Six fully equipped ambulances deployed across sub-counties.
Cancer & Renal Care Centre
Establishment of chemotherapy and dialysis services in-county.
County Sanitary Landfill
Engineered landfill and materials recovery facility.
Flagship Programmes
Capacity Building
Continuous training for officers and community champions.
Youth Empowerment
Internships, grants and mentorship for young people.
Women Empowerment
Targeted access to opportunity, credit and markets.
Public Participation
Ward forums, budget hearings and citizen feedback.
Climate Action
Climate-resilient planning and greening initiatives.
Digital Transformation
e-Services, open data and automated workflows.
How Our Work Aligns
Every departmental initiative is anchored in county, national and global development frameworks.
CIDP Alignment
Directly implements the sector priorities of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023–2027.
- Sector programme delivery
- Ward-equitable investment
- Universal health coverage
Annual Development Plan
Translates CIDP priorities into costed annual work plans and budget proposals reviewed each fiscal year.
- FY 2026/27 costed workplan
- Ward-level project prioritization
Sustainable Development Goals
Aligns departmental targets with the global goals adopted by Kenya.
- Measured SDG indicators
- Gender-responsive programming
Governor’s Manifesto
Delivers on the commitments made to residents in the county leadership manifesto.
- Flagship commitments tracked quarterly
- Published delivery scorecard
Performance Contract
Annual targets are cascaded from the CECM through directors to individual staff appraisal.
- Service delivery KPIs
- Quarterly public reporting
Intergovernmental Coordination
Aligned with national sector policy and coordinated through the Council of Governors’ sector committee.
- Joint national–county programmes
- Donor & partner coordination
Documents & Resources
Browse official department documents organised by category.