Fellow Nurses Africa News, Lagos Nigeria. 05 August, 2025.
Nairobi, Kenya Tensions escalated for a second consecutive day as nursing internship students, whose offer letters were revoked by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, staged protests outside Afya House, demanding immediate reinstatement.
The affected students, part of the July 2025 internship posting,say the decision has thrown their careers into uncertainty. They accuse the Ministry of Health of poor communication and unfair disqualification.
“We have met all academic requirements and should be allowed to start our internship without delay,” one protesting student told reporters, holding a placard outside the Ministry headquarters.
Background of the Revocation
The Ministry of Health had earlier announced the removal of 306 nursing pre-interns from the original July 1 list of 2,098 postings after an audit uncovered posting irregularities. This followed an initial revocation on July 21, when 42 students were removed for failing to meet eligibility criteria.
According to CS Duale, the disqualified students had completed coursework but had not formally graduated, a breach of the Nursing Council Act and Public Service Commission guidelines, which only allow fully certified graduates to be posted.
Universities Affected
The audit revealed that the revoked interns came from 10 universities, with the highest numbers from:
Baraton University – 92 students
Pwani University – 48 students
Kirinyaga University – 46 students
Kenyatta University – 22 students
Replacement List Issued
In the same announcement, the Ministry unveiled a new list of 316 qualified nursing pre-interns who had been omitted from the initial postings. These individuals were instructed to collect their letters from Afya House on August 1, 2025, starting from 7:00 AM, with valid national identification.
Leadership Shake-Up
As part of accountability measures, Nursing Council of Kenya CEO Lister Onsongo was suspended. Ann Mukuna was appointed Acting Director to oversee compliance during the ongoing review.
Ongoing Protests
The protests, captured in images by photojournalist Benard Orwongo, have drawn public attention to the plight of the disqualified students. Despite the Ministry’s stance, the interns insist they are qualified and will continue camping outside Afya House until their concerns are addressed.
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