Duale unveils reforms to fix nursing internship mess
By William Muthama, July 22, 2025Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced sweeping reforms to address serious irregularities in the 2025/2026 posting of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) interns.
In a post on X on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Duale said the Ministry of Health had held a consultative meeting with universities offering nursing programmes to chart a new path for transparent, fair, and accountable internship placement.
New changes introduced
Duale unveiled six key interventions, starting with the creation of a centralised digital platform for internship submissions to enhance verification and eliminate human error.
The ministry will also develop national internship guidelines to standardise eligibility, timelines, and the roles of participating institutions.
Additionally, an internship coordination unit will be established within the health ministry to supervise the entire process.
“We are enforcing KUCCPS compliance for all internship placements,” he said. “Only students admitted through government-approved quotas and verified by the Commission for University Education (CUE) will be eligible.”
An internal audit had revealed disturbing anomalies in the 2025/2026 placement. According to Duale, 42 unqualified individuals had been placed, while 339 eligible interns were left out.
Some universities also submitted data for foreign students who are not eligible for government-sponsored internships.
As a result, the ministry has revoked the 42 irregular postings and officially notified the affected internship centres. “This process must uphold integrity and protect patient safety,” Duale stated.
Blame falls widely
Ten universities were flagged for submitting unverified or unauthorised student data. These are Kenyatta University, Daystar University, Kenya Methodist University, Masai Mara University, University of Embu, Mount Kenya University, Umma University, Baraton University, Karatina University, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
The Nursing Council of Kenya was also faulted for failing to verify the student data before submission to the ministry.
To resolve the funding challenge that led to the exclusion of 339 eligible interns, Duale confirmed that the ministry is engaging with the National Treasury to secure KSh 408 million.
“We remain committed to building a credible, accountable health internship system that upholds professional standards,” he said.