The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has backed the suspension of the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) chief executive following revelations of illegal internship postings involving unqualified nursing students. The Ministry of Health discovered that 42 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students were posted for internships before completing their academic programmes a serious violation of statutory regulations.
Investigations revealed that the Nursing Council colluded with ten universities, both public and private, to unlawfully approve and submit names of the students for internships. This prompted immediate revocation of the internship placements and an instruction for the students to vacate their assigned hospitals.
The union condemned the Council’s actions and expressed full support for the Health Cabinet Secretary’s decision to suspend the NCK CEO, Dr. Lister Onsongo, while a full audit of all 2,098 posted BSc nursing interns is undertaken. The Ministry of Health emphasized that the Council’s actions, together with those of the implicated universities, violated the Nursing Council Act and the guidelines established by the Public Service Commission.
Nursing internships are meant for graduates who have fully completed their academic requirements and are officially vetted and approved for practical experience in hospitals under supervision. Bypassing this process undermines the integrity of the profession and risks compromising patient care.
An internal review has begun to scrutinize how the unlawful postings occurred and determine the level of involvement of university administrators, council officials, and ministry staff. In the interim, the ministry has appointed Ann Mukuna, Director of Standards and Compliance, as the acting CEO of the Nursing Council.
The nurses’ union, led by its secretary general, stated that such malpractice is unprecedented and likely rooted in weak leadership at the Council. They called for strict accountability to prevent similar incidents in the future. The union further reiterated the importance of protecting the credibility of nursing education and upholding ethical standards in the deployment of health professionals.
The Ministry of Health pledged to treat the matter with urgency, assuring the public that all individuals found culpable will face disciplinary and legal consequences. The goal is to safeguard professional standards and ensure that only fully qualified graduates enter Kenya’s healthcare system.
