Nairobi: Health Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale has presided over the issuance of internship offer letters to 316 nursing interns. The interns will join another cohort of over 6,000 medical interns, who received their offer letters on June 30, 2025. While issuing the letters to this cohort, the CS said the interns were erroneously omitted from the maiden list of successful candidates.
According to Kenya News Agency, Duale explained that the Ministry has undertaken a corrective measure of posting the 316 pre-interns who were qualified but were wrongly excluded. Following the initial posting of 6,484 interns, health stakeholders launched complaints, leading to the disqualification of some candidates due to discrepancies.
To address the issue, the Ministry has suspended Dr. Lister Onsongo, CEO of the Nursing Council of Kenya, pending further investigation. Duale also announced the revocation of internship offers for 42 students who were posted without having completed their studies.
The Ministry acknowledges the distress caused by the revocation of internship offers, especially for those who had already reported to their stations. Duale emphasized that only candidates meeting all academic and licensure requirements have been admitted for internship under the established policy and regulatory frameworks.
Moving forward, the Ministry plans to enhance coordination among stakeholders, including the Nursing Council of Kenya and training institutions, to prevent recurrence of such incidents. This includes improving eligibility verification and using a centralized digital internship management system for transparency and efficiency.
Duale affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to a transparent and accountable internship placement process, emphasizing the need for measures to prevent future irregularities. He encouraged the interns to approach their roles with professionalism and dedication, highlighting their importance to the health system’s future.