The Ministry of Health has flagged off 316 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) interns in a major step toward restoring integrity in the country’s health workforce management. The event, held at Afya House in Nairobi, comes after an audit uncovered irregularities in the internship posting process that saw eligible candidates omitted and unqualified individuals deployed.
The 316 nursing interns had initially been left out of the June 30, 2025 deployment of 6,484 interns. Their letters were withheld following an internal audit that revealed errors in the posting process, including the wrongful assignment of 348 unqualified individuals. The newly flagged-off interns are expected to report to their assigned facilities on August 4, 2025.
The Ministry acknowledged that over 1,000 health facilities have been closed and 400 downgraded in recent years due to health worker shortages, misallocation of personnel, and systemic governance failures. The flag-off ceremony highlighted the government’s commitment to restoring order and professionalism in the health sector, particularly in light of growing demands on the health system under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program.
Officials emphasized that effective healthcare delivery is impossible when healthcare workers are demoralized or misallocated. Reforms were described as “non-negotiable,” with the goal of ensuring that health workers are properly supported and assigned to facilities where they are most needed.
Significant changes are now underway, including a full digitization of the internship and deployment system to eliminate manual errors and guard against favoritism and gatekeeping. The Nursing Council is also undergoing a major overhaul, with its CEO suspended to allow for comprehensive reforms.
While some interns had their offers revoked upon discovery that they had not yet graduated, the Ministry assured them they would be prioritized in the next deployment cycle once eligible. The move seeks to balance fairness and accountability while ensuring no eligible candidate is left behind due to bureaucratic mishandling.
The Ministry has also pledged closer coordination with training institutions and regulatory agencies to ensure the internship process is streamlined and reliable.
To the newly deployed interns, the message was clear: serve with integrity and humility. They represent the future of Kenya’s health system and are expected to be key players in improving service delivery across the country.
