By Ongaga Ongaga
The Ministry of Health has revoked internship placements for 42 Bachelor of Science Nursing students who were unlawfully submitted for deployment before completing their academic programmes.
The move follows revelations that the students were cleared in violation of the Nursing Council Act and guidelines approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
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In a statement released Monday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the Ministry had taken decisive action to uphold the integrity of healthcare training.
“We are committed to protecting the credibility of our health workforce,” Duale said.
“All individuals found culpable, whether at the Ministry, the Nursing Council, or within university leadership will be held fully accountable.”
The affected students have been instructed to vacate their duty stations immediately, and their internship letters have been revoked.
The Ministry is also conducting a full audit of the 2,098-member cohort of BSc Nursing interns to identify any further irregularities, the statement added.
As part of the crackdown, Dr. Lister Onsongo, CEO of the Nursing Council of Kenya, has been suspended pending the outcome of the audit.
Ms. Ann Mukuna, Director of Standards and Compliance, has been appointed to oversee Council operations until further notice.
“This matter is being treated with the utmost urgency to safeguard professional standards, ensure compliance with statutory requirements, and protect the rights of nursing graduates and the public,” Duale emphasized.
