Health ministry revokes internship placements for 348 nursing students over graduation issues
According to the Health ministry, the internship policy guidelines stipulate that only students who have formally graduated and received clearance from relevant regulatory bodies are eligible for placement.
The Ministry of Health has revoked internship placements for 348 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) students, citing failure to meet graduation requirements. This brings the total number of revoked nursing internships to 696.
In a statement released on Monday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale explained that the affected students had not officially graduated and therefore did not qualify for internship placement.
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According to the ministry, the internship policy guidelines stipulate that only students who have formally graduated and received clearance from relevant regulatory bodies are eligible for placement.
"Unfortunately, the affected individuals have not graduated and therefore do not meet the placement criteria," the statement read.
The latest revocations follow an earlier decision by the ministry on July 21, 2025, to cancel 42 internship positions that had been unlawfully allocated to students who had not completed their academic programmes. A further 306 positions were revoked on July 30.
Most affected universities
The universities most affected include Baraton University with 92 students, Pwani University with 48, and Kirinyaga University with 46.
In connection with the initial breach, CS Duale suspended the Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK), Lister Onsongo, on July 21 for allegedly submitting 42 BSc Nursing students for internship before they had completed their studies. Ann Mukuna, the Director of Standards and Compliance, was appointed to oversee the council's operations until further notice.
The Ministry has since uncovered a serious breach of regulations involving the NCK and 10 public and private universities.
Under both the Public Service Commission Internship Policy (2016) and the Ministry's Internship Policy for Healthcare Professionals (2020), students must graduate and obtain clearance from a recognised body before being placed.
"The Ministry of Health is committed to upholding fairness and integrity in the placement process," said CS Duale. "Priority must be given to those who have completed their studies and met all regulatory requirements."
He emphasised that students posted for an internship must be graduates, not those with only completion letters.
“Completion is different from graduation. If you have a completion letter, we will not post you until you have a certificate.”
The Ministry said the affected students had been unlawfully submitted for internship before completing their academic programmes—an act that violates both the Nursing Council Act and PSC guidelines.
“Bachelor of Science student nurses posted one month ago were recalled because of posting irregularity and systemic corruption,” added Duale, attributing the issue to coordination failures involving the Ministry, the Nursing Council, and various universities.
Currently, the Public Service Commission provides up to 2,000 internship slots annually for BScN graduates. These are allocated through inter-agency coordination that includes budgeting, workforce planning, and compliance with regulatory standards.
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