How to Check If a Doctor Is Registered in Kenya (KMPDC)

Updated 20 October 2026

Every doctor and dentist who treats patients in Kenya must be registered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) and hold a licence for the current year. KMPDC publishes its registers online so that patients, employers and insurers can confirm this. If you are about to have surgery, start a long treatment or pay a private clinic, a two-minute check can save you from an unqualified practitioner. This guide explains how to check if a doctor is registered in Kenya and how to read the result.

Registered and Licensed Are Not the Same

KMPDC keeps a register of everyone who qualified and was registered as a medical practitioner or dentist. Separately, each practitioner must renew a practising licence every year. A doctor can appear as registered but not be licensed to practise this year, for example because they moved abroad, retired, or did not renew. When you check, look for the current licence, not just the registration.

How to Check a Doctor on the KMPDC Registers

1. Open the KMPDC registers site. You can reach it from the KMPDC website or from our page on how to check if a professional is registered, which links all the official registers.
2. Choose the right list. KMPDC publishes separate lists for licensed local practitioners, foreign practitioners licensed to work in Kenya, community oral health officers and health facilities.
3. Search by the doctor’s name or registration number. The registration number is usually shown on prescriptions, sick notes and the practising licence on the clinic wall.
4. Read the details: name, registration number, qualifications, discipline (medicine or dentistry), specialty if any, and status.

Checking a Specialist

If someone calls themselves a surgeon, gynaecologist, paediatrician or other specialist, the register should show that specialty. A doctor registered as a general medical practitioner with no recorded specialty should not present themselves as a specialist. For major procedures, it is reasonable to ask the doctor where they trained as a specialist and to check that the specialty appears on the register.

Checking the Clinic or Hospital

KMPDC also licenses private health facilities, so check the facility as well as the doctor. Our guide on how to check if a health facility is licensed by KMPDC explains how. If you plan to use the Social Health Authority cover, confirm the facility is contracted by SHA through the SHA facility lookup, linked from our registers page.

Foreign Doctors

Doctors trained or registered abroad, including those on medical camps and visiting specialists, need a KMPDC licence to practise in Kenya. They appear on the separate list of licensed foreign practitioners. If a visiting doctor does not appear there, ask the hospital to show the licence.

What the Results Mean

• Found and licensed this year: the doctor is allowed to practise. Make sure the name and registration number match the person treating you.
• Found but not licensed this year: they are registered but may not currently be allowed to practise. Ask the facility about it.
• Not found: try different spellings, a middle name or the registration number. Newly licensed doctors can take a short time to appear. If you still cannot find them, ask for their registration number and practising licence, and contact KMPDC before you proceed.

Other Health Workers

KMPDC covers doctors and dentists. Nurses and midwives are licensed by the Nursing Council of Kenya, which has its own online licence status check, and clinical officers are regulated by the Clinical Officers Council. Pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists fall under the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Our registers page links the official checks that are available online.

How to Report a Fake Doctor or Misconduct

If someone is practising without being registered, or a registered doctor has harmed you through negligence or misconduct, you can file a complaint with KMPDC. Write down the date, the facility, the name of the practitioner and what happened, and keep any receipts, prescriptions and medical records. For criminal matters, such as someone posing as a doctor, report to the police as well.

Working in health? See the latest pay ranges in our guides on doctor salaries in Kenya and nurse salaries in Kenya.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a doctor is registered in Kenya?

Search their name or registration number on the KMPDC registers and confirm they appear on the list of practitioners licensed for the current year.

Is the KMPDC search free?

Yes. The registers are free to search for the public.

Does KMPDC list nurses?

No. Nurses are licensed by the Nursing Council of Kenya, which has its own licence status check.

Can I check a dentist on KMPDC?

Yes. Dentists are registered and licensed by KMPDC and appear on the same registers, with dentistry shown as the discipline.

Where do I complain about a doctor?

File a complaint with KMPDC with details of the practitioner, the facility and what happened. Report impostors to the police.