Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has suspended the Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK), Lister Onsongo, over allegations of unlawfully submitting 42 Bachelor of Science (BSc) Nursing students for internship before they had completed their academic programmes.
In a strongly worded statement, CS Duale said the Ministry of Health uncovered a serious regulatory breach involving the Nursing Council and 10 public and private universities. The premature submission of students for internships was described as a violation of the Nursing Council Act and guidelines approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
“The Ministry of Health has uncovered a serious breach of regulations involving the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) and 10 public and private universities,” said Duale. “We have noted the unlawful submission of 42 Bachelor of Science (BSc) Nursing students for internship before the completion of their academic programmes.”
As part of immediate corrective measures, Duale has revoked all internship letters issued to the affected students and directed them to vacate their duty stations. The Ministry has appointed Ann Mukuna, the Director of Standards and Compliance, to act as the interim CEO of the NCK pending further investigations.
The Ministry has also launched a comprehensive internal audit of all 2,098 BSc Nursing interns across the country to determine the extent of the irregularity.
Duale emphasized that accountability will be enforced at all levels. “All individuals found culpable—whether at the Ministry of Health, the NCK, or within the leadership of the implicated universities—will be held fully accountable,” he said.
He further reassured the public and the nursing fraternity that the Ministry remains committed to maintaining the integrity of healthcare training and deployment. The action, he said, is being treated with the utmost urgency to uphold professional standards, ensure compliance with statutory requirements, and protect the rights of nursing graduates and public health.
The unfolding scandal has raised concerns about the oversight of nursing training and internship processes, with stakeholders calling for stringent reforms to restore credibility in the sector.
